Yankton Lake
Yankton Lake in Lyon County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 402.57 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 8 ft
- Area
- 403 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 12
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Yankton Lake →
Next lake in Lyon County
Yankton Lake is a 403-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lyon County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Lyon County, Yankton Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 20.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 98 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Yankton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Yankton Lake in Lyon 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Yankton Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Yankton Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Yankton Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 83°F) and coldest in Aug (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Yankton Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 403 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Yankton LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Yankton Lake
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (4 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-03-05 (2017) | 2008-04-11 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2008-11-28 (2008) | 2008-11-28 (2008) |
Most recent ice-out: 2017-03-05
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Yankton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Yankton (completed 1942), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Dog Creek-TR; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 17 ft long.
- Surface area
- 380 ac
- Normal storage
- 380 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 380 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Balaton
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00230 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Yankton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN42-0047-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Yankton Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Balaton WwtpBalaton · 1 mi away · NPDES MN0020559Recent 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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Lyon County
Nearby Lakes in Lyon County
Frequently asked questions about Yankton Lake
What is the water quality grade for Yankton Lake?
- Yankton Lake in Lyon County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 402.57 acres.
Is Yankton Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Yankton Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 20.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Yankton Lake?
- Yankton Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Yankton Lake?
- Yankton Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 402.57 acres.
What fish are in Yankton Lake?
- Fish species found in Yankton Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Yankton Lake is located in Lyon County, Minnesota.
When does Yankton Lake thaw?
- Yankton Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 12.
Are there boat ramps on Yankton Lake?
- Yankton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Yankton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Yankton Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
9 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
MNPCA9 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate