Temperance Lake
Martin County, Minnesota166 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Temperance Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 5 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Temperance Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 165.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 166.05 acres.
Temperance Lake is a 166-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Martin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and common carp. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Martin County, Temperance Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Temperance Lake covers about 170 acres in Martin County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Temperance Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Temperance Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
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. Temperance Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Temperance 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 Temperance Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Temperance 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 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 165.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 88.6 µg/L. TSI 79.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 166µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 88.6µg/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. | 79 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Temperance Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Temperance Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Temperance Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
5 ft
Surface area
166 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,260 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Temperance LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Temperance Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Temperance Lake in Martin 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 Temperance Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Temperance 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 Temperance Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Temperance Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Temperance 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN46-0103-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Temperance Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sherburn WwtpSherburn · 0.4 mi away · NPDES MN0024872Recent violation
- Interstate Power Co - Fox Lake StationSherburn · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MN0000957
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 Martin County
Frequently asked questions about Temperance Lake
Where is Temperance Lake?
- Temperance Lake is a lake in Martin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Temperance Lake?
- Temperance Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 165.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 166.05 acres.
Is Temperance Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Temperance Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Temperance Lake?
- Temperance Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Temperance Lake?
- Temperance Lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 166.05 acres.
What fish are in Temperance Lake?
- Fish species found in Temperance Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Temperance Lake is located in Martin County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Temperance Lake?
- Temperance Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Temperance Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Temperance Lake?
- Temperance 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 Temperance Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Martin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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
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