Tanners Lake
Washington County, Minnesota74 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tanners Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · PFAS
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
Tanners Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 74.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2011 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Tanners Lake. DNR survey details →
Tanners Lake is a 74-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 46 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Tanners Lake ranks #34 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Tanners Lake covers about 74 acres in Washington County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Tanners Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Tanners Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water46 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Tanners Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tanners 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 Tanners Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tanners 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.1 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.1µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Tanners Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Tanners Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 60°F) and coldest in Jan (about 36°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (36°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,937 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Tanners Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2011 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Tanners Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tanners 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-08-01 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2011-08-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 32.64 | 2–7 in 2011-08-01 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.37 | 5–7 in 2011-08-01 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 4.90 | 8–12 in 2005-08-08 | 0.73 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.70 | 2–6 in 2011-08-01 | 0.1 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.19 | 2–5 in 2011-08-01 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.74 | 4–8 in 2011-08-01 | 0.15 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
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2011-08-01 survey
Bluegills are the most abundant species in Tanners Lake. The population is considered average when comparing similar lakes. The average size found was 5.26 inches. Only 27.8% of the bluegills sampled exceeded 6 inches in length. Black crappies were also sampled in average abundance. Their average size was 6.17 inches.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tanners Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TannersFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — TannersFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — TannersPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
46 ft
Surface area
74 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
958 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Tanners Lake ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tanners Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tanners Lake in Washington 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Tanners 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 Tanners Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.75 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.46 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Tanners 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN82-0115-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Tanners Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Tanners Lake Alum WtpMaplewood · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MN0067661
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Tanners Lake
Where is Tanners Lake?
- Tanners Lake is a lake in Washington County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tanners Lake?
- Tanners Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 74.39 acres.
Is Tanners Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tanners Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Tanners Lake?
- Tanners Lake typically sits around 50°F at the surface in October, from 1,937 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Tanners Lake?
- Tanners Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet. The lake covers 74.39 acres.
What fish are in Tanners Lake?
- Fish species found in Tanners Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Tanners Lake is located in Washington County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tanners Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2011 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Tanners Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tanners 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.
Are there boat ramps on Tanners Lake?
- Tanners Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tanners Lake Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tanners Lake?
- Tanners 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 Tanners Lake across LakeQuality
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
1,285 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1,285 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory