Stearns County Lake Quality

Minnesota, 56 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)

Stearns County in Minnesota carries 56 graded lakes — one of the lake-richer counties in our dataset. Coverage that dense usually reflects active lake-association sampling alongside state-agency monitoring. The county-wide average grade is D — water quality issues are persistent across most of the monitored basins. 11 lakes fall into the F bracket outright.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Long Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for Stearns County

Cleanest lakes in Stearns County →Cleanest lakes in Minnesota →Safest swimming lakes in Minnesota →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Long Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.

Fishing in Stearns County

Stearns County Fishing Guide

Fish species and best-graded lakes in Stearns County

DNR Reports (40)

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Stearns County. browse all reports →

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

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Fisheries Lake Survey — Zumwalde
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Watab
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Warner
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Uhlenkolts
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Two Rivers
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Sylvia
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — School Section
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Schneider
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Sauk
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Sand
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Sagatagan
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Rice
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Pleasant
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Pelican
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Pearl
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Otter
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Ochotto
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — North Brown's
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Vails
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Middle Spunk
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Marie
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower Spunk
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Louisa
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Long
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Long
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Fuller
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Kreigle
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Krays
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Kraemer
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Koronis (main lake)
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Knaus
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Kings
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Horseshoe
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Great Northern
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Grand
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Goodners
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — George
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Eden
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Crooked
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Cedar Island
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder

All Lakes in Stearns County

56 lakes · 32 graded, 24 not rated32 graded lakes · 24 not rated, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (24)

#	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Max Depth	Access
1	ALong LakeStearns	A	13.5 ft	19 µg/L	4.4 µg/L	No recent samples	28 ft	Carry-in
2	ABig Spunk LakeStearns	A	10 ft	14 µg/L	3.7 µg/L	No recent samples	38 ft	✓ Public
3	ACrooked LakeStearns	A	15.5 ft	16 µg/L	2.2 µg/L	No recent samples	35 ft	✓ Public
4	ABig Fish LakeStearns	A	20 ft	9 µg/L	1.8 µg/L	No recent samples	70 ft	✓ Public
5	ASchool Section LakeStearns	A	9.8 ft	14 µg/L	2.1 µg/L	No recent samples	14 ft	✓ Public
6	CBig LakeStearns	C	6.9 ft	26.5 µg/L	10.7 µg/L	No recent samples	42 ft	✓ Public
7	COtter LakeStearns	C	9 ft	15 µg/L	9.4 µg/L	No recent samples	51 ft	✓ Public
8	CPirz LakeStearns	C	12 ft	26 µg/L	6.1 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Carry-in
9	CKraemer LakeStearns	C	6.9 ft	22 µg/L	11.6 µg/L	No recent samples	30 ft	Carry-in
10	CGeorge LakeStearns	C	7.3 ft	23 µg/L	10.7 µg/L	No recent samples	32 ft	✓ Public
11	CKoronis LakeStearns	C	6 ft	27 µg/L	13.8 µg/L	No recent samples	132 ft	✓ Public
12	CGrand LakeStearns	C	8 ft	27 µg/L	8.5 µg/L	No recent samples	34 ft	✓ Public
13	CAugusta LakeStearns	C	5.3 ft	25.5 µg/L	13.4 µg/L	No recent samples	82 ft	✓ Public
14	CPearl LakeStearns	C	3.9 ft	20.5 µg/L	13 µg/L	No recent samples	17 ft	✓ Public
15	CWarner LakeStearns	C	6 ft	22 µg/L	12.8 µg/L	No recent samples	38 ft	✓ Public
16	DSauk LakeStearns	D	3.9 ft	52 µg/L	22.3 µg/L	No recent samples	61 ft	✓ Public
17	DGoodners LakeStearns	D	5 ft	71 µg/L	24 µg/L	No recent samples	24 ft	✓ Public
18	DKrays LakeStearns	D	3.5 ft	150 µg/L	21 µg/L	No recent samples	40 ft	Carry-in
19	DLouisa LakeStearns	D	5.7 ft	65 µg/L	24.9 µg/L	No recent samples	44 ft	Carry-in
20	DSchneider LakeStearns	D	12 ft	64 µg/L	18 µg/L	No recent samples	52 ft	Carry-in
21	DEden LakeStearns	D	3 ft	179.5 µg/L	27 µg/L	No recent samples	77 ft	✓ Public
22	FMud LakeStearns	F	3 ft	166 µg/L	59.5 µg/L	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
23	FHorseshoe LakeStearns	F	4 ft	120 µg/L	44.5 µg/L	No recent samples	57 ft	✓ Public
24	FLong LakeStearns	F	2.5 ft	61 µg/L	41 µg/L	No recent samples	35 ft	✓ Public
25	FRice LakeStearns	F	3 ft	50 µg/L	39.5 µg/L	No recent samples	41 ft	✓ Public
26	FNorth Brown'S LakeStearns	F	4 ft	67.5 µg/L	31 µg/L	No recent samples	41 ft	✓ Public
27	FCedar Island LakeStearns	F	3.5 ft	63.5 µg/L	44 µg/L	No recent samples	75 ft	✓ Public
28	FKnaus LakeStearns	F	2.5 ft	143 µg/L	31 µg/L	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
29	FMarie LakeStearns	F	5.1 ft	75 µg/L	42.1 µg/L	No recent samples	36 ft	✓ Public
30	FUhlenkolts LakeStearns	F	0.7 ft	187 µg/L	205 µg/L	No recent samples	18 ft	✓ Public
31	FBolfing LakeStearns	F	6.3 ft	59 µg/L	51.6 µg/L	No recent samples	36 ft	Carry-in
32	FMccormic LakeStearns	F	No recent samples	67 µg/L	44 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRPelican LakeStearns	NR	13.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	46 ft	✓ Public
	NRLong LakeStearns	NR	14 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	46 ft	✓ Public
	NRUnnamed LakeStearns	NR	10 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Carry-in
	NRUnnamed LakeStearns	NR	3.4 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRBear LakeStearns	NR	6 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Carry-in
	NRCarnelian LakeStearns	NR	12 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	36 ft	✓ Public
	NRSand LakeStearns	NR	2.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	15 ft	✓ Public
	NRSylvia LakeStearns	NR	10 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	56 ft	✓ Public
	NRMiddle Spunk LakeStearns	NR	12 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	81 ft	✓ Public
	NRPleasant LakeStearns	NR	13 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	33 ft	✓ Public
	NRZumwalde LakeStearns	NR	2.3 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	23 ft	Carry-in
	NRBig Watab LakeStearns	NR	20.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	123 ft	✓ Public
	NRTwo Rivers LakeStearns	NR	11.2 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	63 ft	✓ Public
	NRKreighle LakeStearns	NR	18 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	66 ft	Carry-in
	NRBlack Oak LakeStearns	NR	10 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	19 ft	✓ Public
	NRKings LakeStearns	NR	7.4 ft	45 µg/L	31.4 µg/L	No recent samples	44 ft	✓ Public
	NRGreat Northern LakeStearns	NR	4.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	16.2 ft	Carry-in
	NRSagatagan LakeStearns	NR	17 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	42 ft	Carry-in
	NROchotto LakeStearns	NR	13 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	40 ft	✓ Public
	NRLower Spunk LakeStearns	NR	9.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	27.5 ft	✓ Public
	NRBecker LakeStearns	NR	5.7 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	20 ft	✓ Public
	NRHenry LakeStearns	NR	0.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Carry-in
	NRWatab LakeStearns	NR	10.5 ft	5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	54 ft	Carry-in
	NRThein LakeStearns	NR	10.5 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Carry-in

NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.

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Other Counties in Minnesota

Clay County

2 lakes · Avg grade A

Morrison County

16 lakes · Avg grade A

Hubbard County

76 lakes · Avg grade A

Cass County

130 lakes · Avg grade A

Cook County

139 lakes · Avg grade A

Crow Wing County

121 lakes · Avg grade A

See how Stearns County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.