Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 1725.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 11.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 105 ft
- Area
- 1,726 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 219 days
Next lake in Aitkin County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Cedar Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 100 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Cedar Lake is a 1,726-acre mesotrophic lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 105 feet (28-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Aitkin County, Cedar Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-06. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 11.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Cedar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cedar Lake in Aitkin 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.
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Water Temperature
Cedar Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 58 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cedar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cedar Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (82,414 cells/mL) on May 15, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 105 ft |
| Average Depth | 28 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,726 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 27.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 23% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cedar LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cedar Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 43.27 | 0.47 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 30.00 | — |
| Bluegill | 13.54 | 0.11 lb |
| GOS | 9.20 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 7.88 | — |
| JND | 7.75 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Bluegill
JND
From the 2025-08-04 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen (TDO) profile was collected from the main basin to measure the amount of habitat available for Tullibee. The main basin represents the area of Cedar Lake most likely to have adequate conditions for Tullibee survival. The TDO3 (temperature at 3 mg/l dissolved oxygen) was determined to be…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cedar Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CedarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Cedar (0016)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CedarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CedarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.255 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (22 observations).
Estimated open water season: 219 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-18 (2016) | 2013-05-10 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-08 (2019) | 2006-12-01 (2006) |
Most recent ice-out: 2021-04-05
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0209-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.61 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 18 lakes in Aitkin County
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 1725.8 acres.
Is Cedar Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Cedar Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 58 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake has a maximum depth of 105 feet and an average depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 1725.8 acres.
What fish are in Cedar Lake?
- Fish species found in Cedar Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Cedar Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
When does Cedar Lake thaw?
- Cedar Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Does Cedar Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cedar Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (82,414 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Cedar Lake?
- Cedar Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cedar Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cedar Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
475 measurements from 10 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA475 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (10)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate