Tyson Lake
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota166 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tyson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Tyson Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 165.85 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 16.00 walleye per gill net at Tyson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches. DNR survey details →
Tyson Lake is a 166-acre lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Tyson Lake covers about 170 acres in Yellow Medicine County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Tyson Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Tyson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tyson 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 Tyson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tyson 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 4.5 ft. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | 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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Tyson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 16.00 walleye per gill net at Tyson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tyson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-09-13 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2023-09-13 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 150.80 | 4–14 in 2022-06-13 | 0.22 lb |
| Walleye | 48.29 | 6–12 in 2023-09-13 | 1.33 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.61 | 4–11 in 2022-06-13 | 0.33 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.08 | 2–8 in 2022-06-13 | 0.32 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.22 | 3–7 in 2022-06-13 | 0.17 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.
Black Bullhead
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2023-09-13 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted on Tyson during September 13, 2023 to evaluate young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye numbers due to fry stocking/natural reproduction. One station was sampled for 10 minutes at dusk. The water temperature was 70 F. Water clarity was poor (6 inches)…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tyson Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TysonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — TysonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — TysonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
166 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,040 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Tyson 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 Tyson Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tyson Lake in Yellow Medicine 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 Tyson 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 Tyson Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Tyson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Tyson Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Nsp-Minnesota Valley PlantGranite Falls · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0000906
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 Yellow Medicine County
Frequently asked questions about Tyson Lake
Where is Tyson Lake?
- Tyson Lake is a lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tyson Lake?
- Tyson Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 165.85 acres.
Is Tyson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Tyson Lake?
- Tyson Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 165.85 acres.
What fish are in Tyson Lake?
- Fish species found in Tyson Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, yellow perch. Tyson Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tyson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2022 caught 16.00 walleye per gill net at Tyson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tyson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Tyson Lake?
- Tyson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tyson Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tyson Lake?
- Tyson 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 Tyson Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
29 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA29 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
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