Willie Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota192 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Willie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Willie Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 191.62 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2024 caught 0.89 northern pike per trap net at Willie Lake. DNR survey details →
Willie Lake is a 192-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Willie Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Willie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
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. Willie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Willie 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 Willie Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Willie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 33.7 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 72µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 33.7µg/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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Willie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Willie Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 33 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Willie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2024 caught 0.89 northern pike per trap net at Willie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Willie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2024-07-17 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 45.52 | 5–12 in 2024-07-17 | 0.31 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.66 | 2–6 in 2024-07-17 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.49 | 4–10 in 2024-07-17 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.58 | 5–7 in 2024-07-17 | 0.11 lb |
| White Crappie | 6.01 | 7–11 in 2024-07-17 | 0.34 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.51 | 6–19 in 2016-07-11 | 1.55 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-17 survey
Willie is a small lake (191 acres) located south of the City of Litchfield in Meeker County. A state-owned access with gravel parking and a double cement plank boat ramp is present on the west shore. A separate fishing dock is also present at the public access. Willie has approximately three miles of shoreline and a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Willie Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WillieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WillieFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WilliePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
192 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
63%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
10 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,079 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Willie 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 Willie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Willie 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Willie Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Willie 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 Willie Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 24, 2021 · Latest Apr 11, 2022
Most recent ice-out
Apr 11
2022
3 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Willie 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0061-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Willie Lake
Where is Willie Lake?
- Willie 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 Willie Lake?
- Willie Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 191.62 acres.
Is Willie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Willie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Willie Lake?
- Willie Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 33 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Willie Lake?
- Willie Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 191.62 acres.
What fish are in Willie Lake?
- Fish species found in Willie Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Willie Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Willie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2024 caught 0.89 northern pike per trap net at Willie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Willie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Willie Lake thaw?
- Willie Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3.
Are there boat ramps on Willie Lake?
- Willie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Willie Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Willie Lake?
- Willie 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 Willie Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2023
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate