Agate Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota187 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Agate Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Agate Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 187.03 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 1989 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Agate Lake. DNR survey details →
Agate Lake is a 187-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Agate Lake covers about 190 acres in Crow Wing County. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Agate Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Agate Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Agate 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 Agate Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Agate Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Agate Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Agate Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 54 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Agate Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 1989 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Agate Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Agate Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1989-06-19 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1989-06-19 (Standard Survey)
37 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 49.10 | 0.18 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 25.54 | 0.13 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.75 | 0.24 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 3.67 | 0.29 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.86 | 5.31 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 2.58 | 0.25 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.
From the 1989-06-19 survey
The fish population levels in numbers and average size of fish as determined from the range of median values for appropriate types of gear are indicated in the following table. High population levels are indicated by catch rates above the third quartile and low population levels by catch rates below the first…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Agate Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AgateFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
187 acres
Shoreline
2.6 mi
Littoral zone
42%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,237 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Agate Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Agate Lake in Crow Wing 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Agate 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 Agate Lake’s readings
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Fishing Agate Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Apr 4, 1992 · Latest Apr 30, 2008
Most recent ice-out
Apr 7
2015
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Agate Lake
Where is Agate Lake?
- Agate Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Agate Lake?
- Agate Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 187.03 acres.
Is Agate Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Agate Lake?
- Agate Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 54 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Agate Lake?
- Agate Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 187.03 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Agate Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 1989 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Agate Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Agate Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Agate Lake thaw?
- Agate Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16.
Can I fish at Agate Lake?
- Public access to Agate Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Agate Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA42 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate