Windy Lake
Lake County, Minnesota456 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Windy Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Windy Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 456 acres.
Windy Lake is a 456-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, lake whitefish, and northern pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Windy Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Windy Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Windy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Windy 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 Windy Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Windy 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 5.5 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Windy Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Windy Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 66°F) and coldest in Jun (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 96 field readings (2019–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Windy Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
39 ft
Surface area
456 acres
Shoreline
6 mi
Littoral zone
44%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,647 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Windy 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 Windy Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Windy Lake in Lake 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 Windy Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Windy Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Windy Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Windy 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: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0068-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Windy Lake
Where is Windy Lake?
- Windy Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Windy Lake?
- Windy Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 456 acres.
Is Windy Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Windy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Windy Lake?
- Windy Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 96 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Windy Lake?
- Windy Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake covers 456 acres.
What fish are in Windy Lake?
- Fish species found in Windy Lake include black crappie, lake whitefish, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Windy Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Windy Lake?
- Windy Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Windy Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Windy Lake?
- Windy 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 Windy Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
16 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
MNPCA16 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