Prior Lake is the largest lake in the Southern Metropolitan area and ranks number 80 in size of all 10,000 Minnesota lakes. Prior Lake is divided into:

Total Surface Area of Upper & Lower Prior Lake: 1,356  Acres

Upper Prior Lake is actually South of Lower Prior Lake as Upper Prior has a higher elevation.  Prior Lake is part of the Prior Lake Spring Lake Water Shed District which is a moving waterway.  The southern watershed consists of over 700 wetlands which eventually flow North to Spring Lake which drains into Upper Prior Lake and then continues to flow North into Lower Prior Lake.  Lower Prior Lake has a man-made outlet (3 ft pipe) which eventually drains into the Minnesota River and then to the Mississippi River.  At maximum capacity, Prior Lake can drain 65 cubic feet (487 gallons!) of water per second which in itself can lower the lake level by 1.14 inches/day.

Ice On/Off records only go back to 1964

Prior Lake has two public beaches and two public accesses:

• Sandpoint Beach (Lower Prior Lake)
• Watzl's Beach  (Lower Prior Lake)