Tanager Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota53 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tanager Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 23 ft max depth
Tanager Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 54.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 53.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1977 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Tanager Lake. DNR survey details →
Tanager Lake is a 53-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Tanager Lake ranks #76 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Tanager Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tanager 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 Tanager Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tanager Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 54.6 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 82µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 54.6µg/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. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Tanager Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Tanager Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in Apr (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 383 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Tanager Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1977 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Tanager Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tanager Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1977-07-28 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1977-07-28 (Standard Survey)
49 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 52.75 | 0.18 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 31.25 | 0.58 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 27.25 | 0.31 lb | |
| Common Carp | 4.75 | 4.31 lb | |
| Golden Shiner | 2.00 | 0.15 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 1.75 | 3.25 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.
From the 1977-07-28 survey
See report for all of Lower Lake and Appendix XVII
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tanager Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TanagerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
53 acres
Shoreline
1.2 mi
Littoral zone
71%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tanager Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tanager Lake in Hennepin 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 Tanager Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Tanager 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 →
Follow Tanager Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Tanager 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.76 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+1.01 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Tanager Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0141-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Tanager Lake
Where is Tanager Lake?
- Tanager Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tanager Lake?
- Tanager Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 82 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 54.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 53.48 acres.
Is Tanager Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tanager Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Tanager Lake?
- Tanager Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 383 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Tanager Lake?
- Tanager Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 53.48 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tanager Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 1977 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Tanager Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tanager Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Tanager Lake?
- Public access to Tanager 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 Tanager Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Hennepin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Tanager Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
114 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
MNPCA114 samples · 2020–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder