Carey Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota145 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Carey Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Carey Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13.5 ft. Surface area: 145.4 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Carey Lake. DNR survey details →
Carey Lake is a 145-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and northern pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Carey Lake ranks #49 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Carey Lake covers about 150 acres in St. Louis County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Carey Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Carey Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
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 Carey 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 Carey Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Carey Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.1 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.1µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Carey Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Carey Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Carey Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Carey Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2017-08-14 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2017-08-14 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 7.10 | 4–8 in 2017-08-14 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.75 | 5–11 in 2017-08-14 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.60 | 0.88 lb | |
| White Sucker | 5.92 | 7–21 in 2017-08-14 | 1.54 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.77 | 13–30 in 2017-08-14 | 2.6 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.
Bluegill
Black Crappie
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2017-08-14 survey
Carey Lake is located within the Carey Lake Park and Recreation Area in Hibbing, Minnesota. The public access is located on the west side and there is a 10 hp outboard motor restriction on the lake. The lake has brown water due to tannins. The 2013 lake management plan (LMP) indicates Black Crappie, Northern Pike, and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Carey Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CareyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Carey (1777)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CareyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CareyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
13.5 ft
Surface area
145 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Carey 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 Carey Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Carey Lake in St. Louis 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 Carey 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Carey Lake
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Carey Lake
Where is Carey Lake?
- Carey Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Carey Lake?
- Carey Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13.5 ft. Surface area: 145.4 acres.
Is Carey 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 Carey Lake?
- Carey Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Carey Lake?
- Carey Lake has a maximum depth of 13.5 feet. The lake covers 145.4 acres.
What fish are in Carey Lake?
- Fish species found in Carey Lake include black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Carey Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Carey Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Carey Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Carey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Carey Lake?
- Carey Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Carey Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Carey Lake?
- Carey 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.
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
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