Welsh Lake
Cass County, Minnesota196 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Welsh Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 59 ft max depth
- Public access
Welsh Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 196.06 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 28, 2025 caught 0.73 northern pike per trap net at Welsh Lake. DNR survey details →
Welsh Lake is a 196-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 59 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Welsh Lake ranks #82 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Welsh Lake covers about 200 acres in Cass County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Welsh Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Welsh Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water59 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Welsh 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 Welsh Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Welsh 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 12.5 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.2 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Welsh Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Welsh Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 553 field readings (2017–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Welsh Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 28, 2025 caught 0.73 northern pike per trap net at Welsh Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Welsh Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-28 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-28 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 16.04 | 5–10 in 2020-08-17 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 10.03 | 6 in 1995-08-28 | 0.6 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.81 | 2–9 in 2025-05-28 | 0.2 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.89 | 6–13 in 2020-08-17 | 1.02 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.52 | 7–11 in 2025-05-28 | 0.53 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.
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-05-28 survey
Welch Lake (DOW# 11-0493; Lake Class 31) is a 195-acre lake with 78 littoral acres, 2.30 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 59 feet located near Wilkinson, MN. A DNR owned public access is located on the east shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Welsh Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WelchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Welch (1471)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WelchFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WelchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
59 ft
Surface area
196 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Welsh 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 Welsh Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Welsh Lake in Cass 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 Welsh 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 Welsh Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Welsh Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.25 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.15 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Welsh Lake
Where is Welsh Lake?
- Welsh 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 Welsh Lake?
- Welsh Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 196.06 acres.
Is Welsh Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Welsh Lake?
- Welsh Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 553 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Welsh Lake?
- Welsh Lake has a maximum depth of 59 feet. The lake covers 196.06 acres.
What fish are in Welsh Lake?
- Fish species found in Welsh Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Welsh Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Welsh Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 28, 2025 caught 0.73 northern pike per trap net at Welsh Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Welsh Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Welsh Lake?
- Welsh Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Welsh Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Welsh Lake?
- Welsh 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 Welsh Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX48 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory