Steiger Lake
Steiger Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
- Typical in August
- 64°F
- Max depth
- 37 ft
- Area
- 166 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 30
- Open water
- 246 days
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Steiger Lake →
Next lake in Carver County
Steiger Lake is a 166-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 3 sampling years through 2024. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus level: 41.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 13.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 41.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Steiger Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Steiger Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Steiger Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft |
| Surface Area | 166 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 62% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Carver County Park ReservePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 52.90 | 0.18 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 47.40 | 1.75 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.78 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.95 | 3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.64 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.37 | 0.63 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.008 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +8.47 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.66 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (24 observations).
Estimated open water season: 246 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-03 (2024) | 2018-04-30 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 1997-11-16 (1997) | 2017-12-07 (2017) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-30
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN10-0045-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 38 lakes in Carver County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Steiger Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Steiger Lake
What is the water quality grade for Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). 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?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Steiger Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 13.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Steiger Lake?
- Steiger Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Steiger Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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