Washington Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota2,438 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Washington Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Washington Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 2438.08 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.27 walleye per gill net at Washington Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Washington Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Washington Lake is a 2,438-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet (8-foot average). Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Washington Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Washington Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
- Big water2,438 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Washington Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Washington 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 Washington Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Washington 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. Phosphorus 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.6 µg/L. 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 | 32.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| 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 Washington Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Washington Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 86 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Washington Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Washington Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (36,983 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.27 walleye per gill net at Washington Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Washington 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
25 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-21 (Standard Survey).
25 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 14.00 | 8–26 in 2025-07-21 | 1.58 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.78 | 2–7 in 2025-07-21 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.25 | 4–7 in 2025-07-21 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.19 | 3–11 in 2025-07-21 | 0.36 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.68 | 6–17 in 2025-07-21 | 1.39 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.54 | 5–14 in 2025-07-21 | 0.71 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2025-07-21 survey
Washington is a large-sized lake (2,438 acres) located south of the Town of Darwin in Meeker County. A large state-owned access with paved parking and a double cement boat ramp is present on the south shore. There is also a small cement plank access, with limited parking, on the east shore. Boaters can also access…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Washington Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WashingtonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Washington (1396)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WashingtonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WashingtonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Average depth
8 ft
Surface area
2,438 acres
Shoreline
10 mi
Littoral zone
93%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
47 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,063 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Washington Lake (East)Public
- Washington Lake (South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Washington Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Washington Lake in Meeker 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 Washington Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Washington 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.89 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 17, 2016 · Latest Apr 30, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 2, 1991 · Latest Dec 9, 2009
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2023
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Washington Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0046-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Washington Lake
Where is Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 2438.08 acres.
Is Washington Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Washington Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 86 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 2438.08 acres.
What fish are in Washington Lake?
- Fish species found in Washington Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Washington Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Washington Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 5.27 walleye per gill net at Washington Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Washington 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.
When does Washington Lake thaw?
- Washington Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 237 days.
Does Washington Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Washington Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (36,983 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Washington Lake (East), Washington Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Washington Lake?
- Washington Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Washington Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
335 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA335 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 (5)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate