Blue Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota177 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Blue Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 48 ft max depth
- Limited data
Blue Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 177.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1982 caught 10.17 northern pike per gill net at Blue Lake. DNR survey details →
Blue Lake is a 177-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 48 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Blue Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20 ft of visibility
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 12
- Deep water48 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Blue 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 Blue Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Blue Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20ft | 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. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Blue Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1982 caught 10.17 northern pike per gill net at Blue Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blue Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1982-07-12 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1982-07-12 (Standard Survey)
44 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 97.30 | 0.16 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 10.17 | 1.37 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.30 | 0.2 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.96 | 0.57 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 6.93 | 0.36 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 3.83 | 0.17 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 1982-07-12 survey
Yellow bullheads and sunfish are presently abundant. Tullibee population has apparently disappeared. Northern pike have increased considerably since last survey. Yellow perch seem to be present in approximately the same numbers.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Blue Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlueFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Blue (0237)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BlueFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
48 ft
Surface area
177 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,270 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Blue Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blue 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 Blue Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Blue Lake’s readings
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Fishing Blue Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 12
Earliest Apr 4, 2017 · Latest May 1, 2008
Most recent ice-out
Apr 4
2017
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Blue Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Roosevelt Lake (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the Crooked Creek; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 41 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,510 ac
- Normal storage
- 67,360 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 72,412 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 40 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00051 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.79 km)
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Blue Lake
Where is Blue Lake?
- Blue 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 Blue Lake?
- Blue Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 177.32 acres.
Is Blue Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Blue Lake?
- Blue Lake has a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake covers 177.32 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Blue Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 1982 caught 10.17 northern pike per gill net at Blue Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blue Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Blue Lake thaw?
- Blue Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 12.
Can I fish at Blue Lake?
- Public access to Blue Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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.
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Where this data comes from
16 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
MNPCA16 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