Swartout Lake
Swartout Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 489 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 52.6 µg/L. Surface area: 171 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Mean depth
- ~9 ft est.
- Area
- 171 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Swartout Lake →
Next lake in Wright County
Swartout Lake is a 171-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 9 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including black bullhead, common carp, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Swartout Lake ranks #50 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 489 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 52.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 73.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 489 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 52.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Swartout Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swartout Lake in Wright 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 Swartout Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Swartout Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Swartout Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 114 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Swartout Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 171 acres |
| Public Access | No |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Swartout Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Swartout Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.027 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -11.05 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.46 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Swartout Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Swart Watts Lake (completed 1941), built primarily for recreation on the Clearwater River-TR; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 30 ft long.
- Surface area
- 171 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,026 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,539 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00532 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Swartout Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0208-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #50 of 51 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Swartout Lake holds Grade F. 3 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 Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Swartout Lake
What is the water quality grade for Swartout Lake?
- Swartout Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 489 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 52.6 µg/L. Surface area: 171 acres.
Is Swartout Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Swartout Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 52.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Swartout Lake?
- Swartout Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 114 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Swartout Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Swartout Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 9 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 171 acres.
What fish are in Swartout Lake?
- Fish species found in Swartout Lake include black bullhead, common carp, northern pike. Swartout Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
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Where this data comes from
58 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA58 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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