Winterhalter Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota16 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Winterhalter Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 27 ft max depth
Winterhalter Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 121.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 16.36 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1981 caught 0.75 northern pike per trap net at Winterhalter Lake. DNR survey details →
Winterhalter Lake is a 16-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Winterhalter Lake ranks #78 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Winterhalter 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 Winterhalter Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Winterhalter 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 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 121.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 50.3 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 121µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 50.3µg/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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Winterhalter Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Winterhalter Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in Apr (about 42°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (42°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 114 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Winterhalter Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1981 caught 0.75 northern pike per trap net at Winterhalter Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Winterhalter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1981-07-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1981-07-08 (Standard Survey)
45 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 36.75 | 0.12 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 5.50 | 0.24 lb | |
| Bluegill | 4.25 | 0.16 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.75 | 0.07 lb | |
| Common Carp | 0.75 | 1.58 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 0.75 | 1.67 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.
From the 1981-07-08 survey
Winterhalter Lake has a hgh pop. of BLB, a low pop of BG and avg. sized pops. of Carp, PS, and BLC. A NP pop. is also present but its size cannot be gauged. GSH, GS and HS were also found in 1/4 trapnets. The major portion of the Bluegill pop. consists of I and II annulus fish.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Winterhalter Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WinterhalterFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
16 acres
Shoreline
0.6 mi
Littoral zone
49%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Winterhalter Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Winterhalter Lake in Hennepin 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 Winterhalter Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Winterhalter Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing Winterhalter Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-32.88 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-20.88 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Winterhalter Lake
Where is Winterhalter Lake?
- Winterhalter Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Winterhalter Lake?
- Winterhalter Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 121.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 16.36 acres.
Is Winterhalter 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 Winterhalter Lake?
- Winterhalter Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 114 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Winterhalter Lake?
- Winterhalter Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 16.36 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Winterhalter Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1981 caught 0.75 northern pike per trap net at Winterhalter Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Winterhalter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Winterhalter Lake?
- Public access to Winterhalter Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Winterhalter Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA52 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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