Wood Lake
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota485 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wood Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wood Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 181.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 484.68 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Wood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches. DNR survey details →
Wood Lake is a 485-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Wood Lake covers about 480 acres in Yellow Medicine County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Wood Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Wood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 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. Wood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wood 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 Wood Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wood 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 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 181.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 26.7 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | 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) | 26.7µg/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. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Wood Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Wood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wood Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-08 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-08 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 139.60 | 4–14 in 2022-06-27 | 0.27 lb |
| Black Crappie | 59.48 | 7–10 in 2022-06-27 | 0.24 lb |
| Walleye | 38.37 | 5–9 in 2025-09-08 | 1.05 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 33.54 | ||
| Bluegill | 11.03 | 7 in 2022-06-27 | 0.24 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
Black Crappie
Walleye
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-08 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted on Wood during September 8, 2025 to evaluate young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye numbers due to a fry stocking. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wood Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WoodFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WoodFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WoodPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
485 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,027 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wood 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 Wood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wood Lake in Yellow Medicine 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 Wood Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Wood 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 Wood Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wood Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Wood 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN87-0030-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Wood Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Upper Sioux CommunityGranite Falls · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MN0075001Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Yellow Medicine County
Frequently asked questions about Wood Lake
Where is Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake is a lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 181.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 484.68 acres.
Is Wood Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 484.68 acres.
What fish are in Wood Lake?
- Fish species found in Wood Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, hybrid sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, yellow perch. Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wood Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Wood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wood Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wood Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wood Lake?
- Wood 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 Wood Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Yellow Medicine County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2021
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory