Camp Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota534 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Camp Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Camp Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 533.59 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2023 caught 5.59 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Camp Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–17 inches. DNR survey details →
Camp Lake is a 534-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Camp Lake ranks #73 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Camp Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Camp 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 Camp Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Camp Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 ft. Phosphorus 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.4 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Camp Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Camp Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Oct (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2023–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Camp Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Camp Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL) on March 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2023 caught 5.59 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Camp Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–17 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Camp 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-19 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-19 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 15.06 | ||
| Green Sunfish | 14.20 | 2 in 2021-06-28 | 0.01 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.11 | 2–9 in 2021-06-28 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.99 | 7–17 in 2021-06-28 | 1.35 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 7.22 | 6 in 2006-07-10 | 0.11 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.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Green Sunfish
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Golden Shiner
From the 2023-07-19 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Camp Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 19-20 July 2023. Fourteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Camp Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CampFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Camp (0024)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CampPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
534 acres
Shoreline
9.1 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,243 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Camp LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Camp Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Camp 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 Camp Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Camp Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Camp Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Camp Lake
Where is Camp Lake?
- Camp 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 Camp Lake?
- Camp Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 533.59 acres.
Is Camp 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 Camp Lake?
- Camp Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Camp Lake?
- Camp Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 533.59 acres.
What fish are in Camp Lake?
- Fish species found in Camp Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Camp Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Camp Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 19, 2023 caught 5.59 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Camp Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–17 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Camp 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.
Does Camp Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Camp Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Camp Lake?
- Camp Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Camp Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Camp Lake?
- Camp Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Camp Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
76 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
MNPCA76 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory