Steiger Lake
Carver County, Minnesota166 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Steiger Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
Steiger Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 165.88 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at Steiger Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–32 inches. DNR survey details →
Steiger Lake is a 166-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Steiger Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Steiger Lake covers about 170 acres in Carver County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is March 30, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Steiger Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Steiger Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 30
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Steiger Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Steiger Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Steiger Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Steiger Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.3 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 41.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Steiger Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Steiger Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in Jan (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,057 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Steiger Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at Steiger Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–32 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Steiger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 52.90 | 3–8 in 2024-08-05 | 0.18 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 47.40 | 5–20 in 2024-08-05 | 1.75 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.78 | 4–9 in 2024-08-05 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.95 | 15–32 in 2024-08-05 | 3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.64 | 6 in 2024-08-05 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.37 | 8–13 in 2024-08-05 | 0.63 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
From the 2024-08-05 survey
Steiger is a 166-acre (103 littoral acres) lake with a maximum depth of 37 feet. Steiger is located north of the City of Victoria, in northeastern Carver County. Steiger is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass, but includes catchable populations of Bluegill and Black Crappie. A special…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Steiger Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SteigerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SteigerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Surface area
166 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
62%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
928 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Carver County Park ReservePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Steiger Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Steiger Lake in Carver County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Steiger Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Steiger Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Steiger Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.47 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+5.66 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 30
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 16, 1997 · Latest Dec 7, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Mar 30
2026
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Steiger Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN10-0045-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Steiger Lake
Where is Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 165.88 acres.
Is Steiger Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Steiger Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 1,057 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 165.88 acres.
What fish are in Steiger Lake?
- Fish species found in Steiger Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Steiger Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Steiger Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at Steiger Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–32 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Steiger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Steiger Lake thaw?
- Steiger Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 246 days.
Are there boat ramps on Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Carver County Park Reserve. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Steiger Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
271 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA271 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate