Collinwood Lake
Wright County, Minnesota639 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Collinwood Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
Collinwood Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 638.93 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.11 walleye per gill net at Collinwood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–6 inches. DNR survey details →
Collinwood Lake is a 639-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Collinwood Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Collinwood Lake covers about 640 acres in Wright County. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 7, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Collinwood Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Collinwood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 7
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Collinwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Collinwood 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 Collinwood Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Collinwood 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 ft. Phosphorus 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 38.6 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 135µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 38.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Collinwood Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Collinwood Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 75 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Collinwood Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.11 walleye per gill net at Collinwood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–6 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Collinwood Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
27 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-16 (Targeted Survey).
27 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-16 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 39.21 | 3–14 in 2024-07-08 | 0.53 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 20.92 | 5 in 2020-07-06 | 0.08 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 16.31 | 4–9 in 2024-07-08 | 0.13 lb |
| Walleye | 14.59 | 5–6 in 2024-09-10 | 1.44 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.00 | 4–6 in 2024-07-08 | 0.23 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.70 | 10–12 in 2024-07-08 | 1.14 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.
Black Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2025-09-16 survey
A targeted survey (fall nighttime electrofishing) was conducted on Collinwood Lake on September 16th, 2025, to evaluate young of the year (YOY) and yearling Walleye abundance. A total of 0 YOY were sampled for a catch rate of 0.0 fish/hr., which was below the lake's historical (1993 to 2025) median (16.5 fish/hr.).…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Collinwood Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CollinwoodFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Collinwood (1943)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CollinwoodFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CollinwoodPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
639 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
29 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,027 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Collinwood Lake (North)Public
- Collinwood Lake (South)Public
- Collinwood Lake (East)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Collinwood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Collinwood Lake in Wright 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Collinwood Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Collinwood 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 Collinwood Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+11.7 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-20.96 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 7
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest Apr 23, 1996
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 4, 1991 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 30
2026
56 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Collinwood Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Collinwood Lake (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the Collinwood Creek; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 32 ft long.
- Surface area
- 644 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,864 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,580 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 50.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Fisheries
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00059 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Collinwood Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0293-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Collinwood Lake
Where is Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 135 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 38.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 638.93 acres.
Is Collinwood Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Collinwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 75 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 638.93 acres.
What fish are in Collinwood Lake?
- Fish species found in Collinwood Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Collinwood Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Collinwood Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.11 walleye per gill net at Collinwood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–6 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Collinwood Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Collinwood Lake thaw?
- Collinwood Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 7. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 232 days.
Are there boat ramps on Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Collinwood Lake (North), Collinwood Lake (South), Collinwood Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Collinwood Lake?
- Collinwood Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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 Collinwood Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
114 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
MNPCA114 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
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