Variety Lake
Cass County, Minnesota160 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Variety Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Limited data
Variety Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 159.71 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1987 caught 20.40 northern pike per gill net at Variety Lake. DNR survey details →
Variety Lake is a 160-acre lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet (18-foot average). 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 2025-08-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Variety Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.8 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Variety 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 Variety Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Variety Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.8 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.8ft | 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Variety Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1987 caught 20.40 northern pike per gill net at Variety Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Variety Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-07-06 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-07-06 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.90 | 0.23 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 13.30 | 0.11 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 12.81 | 0.2 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 9.45 | 1.96 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.74 | 0.65 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 3.81 | 0.28 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 1987-07-06 survey
The gillnet catch of northern pike (20.4/GN) indicates a high population. The 1981 and 1967 assessments catch of northern pike were 7.8 and 14.3 respectively. Quality size fish were present and growth rates were good. The bulk of northern pike ranged in length from 16 to 21 inches.The trapnet catch of bluegill was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Variety Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — VarietyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Average depth
18 ft
Surface area
160 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,391 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Variety Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Variety Lake
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Follow Variety Lake’s readings
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Fishing Variety Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Variety Lake
Where is Variety Lake?
- Variety Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Variety Lake?
- Variety Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 159.71 acres.
Is Variety Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Variety Lake?
- Variety Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet and an average depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 159.71 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Variety Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1987 caught 20.40 northern pike per gill net at Variety Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Variety Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Variety Lake?
- Public access to Variety 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
39 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
MNPCA39 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder