Wadena County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 4 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Wadena County has 4 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. Wadena County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.
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. Spirit Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Wadena County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Spirit Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Wadena County
DNR Reports (13)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Wadena County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StockingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpiritFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower TwinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lower Twin (1281)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Lower TwinFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower TwinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spirit (1326)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpiritPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Stocking (1327)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StockingFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StockingPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Yaeger (1248)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — YaegerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Wadena County
4 lakes · 3 graded, 1 not rated3 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASpirit LakeWadena | A | 15.4 ft | 13 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 45 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | DLower Twin LakeWadena | D | 6.9 ft | 35 µg/L | 19.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 26 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DStocking LakeWadena | D | 7.5 ft | 34 µg/L | 15.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 22 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRYaeger LakeWadena | NR | 2.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
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.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Wadena 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.