Store Lake
Polk County, Minnesota50 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Store Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 19 ft max depth
Store Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 193 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 49.88 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2009 caught 2.50 walleye per trap net at Store Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–19 inches. DNR survey details →
Store Lake is a 50-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Store Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Store 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 Store Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Store Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 193 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 193µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 35µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Store Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2009 caught 2.50 walleye per trap net at Store Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Store Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2009-08-03 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2009-08-03 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 45.38 | 5–10 in 1999-07-06 | 0.17 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 34.64 | 4–14 in 2009-08-03 | 0.71 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.58 | 3 in 2009-08-03 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 2.89 | 6–12 in 1994-07-05 | 0.77 lb |
| Walleye | 1.56 | 13–19 in 2009-08-03 | 2.16 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.11 | 6–20 in 1994-07-05 | 3.05 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.
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
From the 2009-08-03 survey
Store (Peterson) Lake is a 52-acre, eutrophic lake in eastern Polk county that is currently vulnerable to winterkill. The lake and its fish community have undergone dramatic changes since it was first surveyed in 1983. At the time of the 1983 survey, Store was not considered a winterkill lake. Water clarity was good…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Store Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StoreFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StoreFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Surface area
50 acres
Shoreline
1.1 mi
Littoral zone
92%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,273 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Store Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Store Lake in Polk 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 Store Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Store 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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Fishing Store Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+11.25 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.11 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Store Lake
Where is Store Lake?
- Store Lake is a lake in Polk County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Store Lake?
- Store Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 193 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 49.88 acres.
Is Store Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Store Lake?
- Store Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 49.88 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Store Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2009 caught 2.50 walleye per trap net at Store Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Store Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Store Lake?
- Public access to Store Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Store Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
68 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA68 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder