West Graham Lake
Nobles County, Minnesota519 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Graham Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
West Graham Lake in Nobles County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 182 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 110.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 519.29 acres.
West Graham Lake is a 519-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Nobles County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Nobles County, West Graham Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
West Graham Lake covers about 520 acres in Nobles County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around West Graham Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What West Graham Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. West Graham Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether West Graham 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 West Graham Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for West Graham 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 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 182 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 110.8 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 182µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 111µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about West Graham Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
West Graham Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Graham Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
519 acres
Shoreline
3.7 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
1,437 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- West Graham Lake (North)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 West Graham Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Graham Lake in Nobles 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around West Graham Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near West Graham 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Graham Lake
EPA Impairment Status
West Graham Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN53-0021-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Nobles County
Frequently asked questions about West Graham Lake
Where is West Graham Lake?
- West Graham Lake is a lake in Nobles County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of West Graham Lake?
- West Graham Lake in Nobles County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 182 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 110.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 519.29 acres.
Is West Graham Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. West Graham Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of West Graham Lake?
- West Graham Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Graham Lake?
- West Graham Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 519.29 acres.
What fish are in West Graham Lake?
- Fish species found in West Graham Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, quillback, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. West Graham Lake is located in Nobles County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on West Graham Lake?
- West Graham Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include West Graham Lake (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at West Graham Lake?
- West Graham 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 West Graham Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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