Vadnais Lake
Vadnais Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 211.62 acres.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 9 ft
- Area
- 212 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Vadnais Lake →
Next lake in Ramsey County
Vadnais Lake is a 212-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Vadnais Lake ranks #44 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 88.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 74.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 90 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 88.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 74 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Vadnais Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Vadnais Lake in Ramsey 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Vadnais Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Vadnais Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Vadnais Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2016–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Vadnais Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 212 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Vadnais 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-07-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 72.08 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 18.50 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.17 | 0.15 lb |
| Common Carp | 14.95 | 3.73 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.92 | 0.27 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.42 | 0.15 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Bluegill
Common Carp
Brown Bullhead
From the 2001-07-09 survey
West Vadnais Lake has been dominated by black bullheads since the survey of 1986. Prior to that brown bullheads were the most commonly caught specie. The fish population of West Vadnais apparently suffers complete or partial winterkill on nearly an annual basis. Game fish sampled were one 19" northern pike, several…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Vadnais Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West VadnaisFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.137 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.4 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.49 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Vadnais Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0038-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.05 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #44 of 44 lakes in Ramsey County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Vadnais Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Vadnais Lake
What is the water quality grade for Vadnais Lake?
- Vadnais Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 88.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 211.62 acres.
Is Vadnais Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Vadnais Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 88.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Vadnais Lake?
- Vadnais Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Vadnais Lake?
- Vadnais Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 211.62 acres.
What fish are in Vadnais Lake?
- Fish species found in Vadnais Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed. Vadnais Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
Explore Vadnais Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
133 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
MNPCA133 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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder