Trader Lake
Lake County, Minnesota54 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Trader Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 10 ft max depth
- Limited data
Trader Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 53.65 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1972 caught 64.33 yellow perch per gill net at Trader Lake. DNR survey details →
Trader Lake is a 54-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Trader 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 Trader Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Trader 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 7.7 ft. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Trader Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1972 caught 64.33 yellow perch per gill net at Trader Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Trader 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1972-06-29 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1972-06-29 (Standard Survey)
54 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 64.33 | 0.17 lb | |
| White Sucker | 17.67 | 1.32 lb | |
| Green Sunfish | 0.67 | 0.05 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.
From the 1972-06-29 survey
(exhausted. No beavers will be able to inhabit (the lake for years to come. Yellow perch and white sucker populations are extremely high.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Trader Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TraderFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Surface area
54 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,440 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Trader Lake
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Fishing Trader Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Trader Lake
Where is Trader Lake?
- Trader Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Trader Lake?
- Trader Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 53.65 acres.
Is Trader Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Trader Lake?
- Trader Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 53.65 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Trader Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1972 caught 64.33 yellow perch per gill net at Trader Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Trader 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.
Can I fish at Trader Lake?
- Public access to Trader 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.
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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