Child Lake
Child Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 285.04 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- 29 ft
- Area
- 285 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 13
Next lake in Cass County
Child Lake is a 285-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Child Lake ranks #25 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Child Lake water quality
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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 12.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Child Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Child Lake in Cass 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
Child Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 73°F) and coldest in Sep (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Child Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Child Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (328,095 cells/mL) on May 23, 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 | 29 ft |
| Surface Area | 285 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 55% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Child Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BNS | 35.75 | — |
| CNM | 12.69 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 12.35 | — |
| BCS | 9.84 | — |
| Bluegill | 7.66 | 0.21 lb |
| GOS | 6.10 | 0.06 lb |
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.
Bluegill
GOS
From the 2024-07-01 survey
Child Lake (DOW # 11-0263; Lake Class 31) is a 285-acre lake with 158 littoral acres, 4.56 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 29 feet located near Hackensack, MN. There is a primitive, user-developed earthen access on state-owned land on the south shore off Cass County Highway 5. Child Lake is also accessible…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Child Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ChildFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Child (1595)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ChildFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ChildPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.156 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.37 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.03 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (7 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-04-02 (2017) | 2019-04-25 (2019) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2015-11-30 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2019-04-25
EPA Impairment Status
Child 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 MN11-0283-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.34 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #25 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Child Lake
What is the water quality grade for Child Lake?
- Child Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 285.04 acres.
Is Child Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Child Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Child Lake?
- Child Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Child Lake?
- Child Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 285.04 acres.
What fish are in Child Lake?
- Fish species found in Child Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Child Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
When does Child Lake thaw?
- Child Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13.
Does Child Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Child Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (328,095 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Child Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Cass County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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More Minnesota Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
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Where this data comes from
78 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
MNPCA78 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)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate