Cramer Lake
Lake County, Minnesota68 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cramer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 4 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cramer Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Maximum depth: 4 ft. Surface area: 68.31 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2019 caught 8.00 northern pike per gill net at Cramer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–37 inches. DNR survey details →
Cramer Lake is a 68-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 4 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including brook trout, northern pike, and pumpkinseed. Public access is available. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Cramer Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cramer Lake covers about 68 acres in Lake County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Cramer Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Cramer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 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 Cramer 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 Cramer Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cramer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Cramer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2019 caught 8.00 northern pike per gill net at Cramer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–37 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cramer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-25 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2019-06-25 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed | 88.57 | 3–4 in 2019-06-25 | 0.06 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 11.66 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 10.69 | 5–11 in 2019-06-25 | 0.29 lb |
| White Sucker | 10.67 | 11–21 in 2019-06-25 | 2.8 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.97 | 2–37 in 2019-06-25 | 1.76 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.
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2019-06-25 survey
Cramer Lake is located 9 miles northeast of Finland in the Superior National Forest. Public access is a 30 yard carry in along Lake County Highway 7 with a small parking area suitable for 2 vehicles. The lake has an area of 68 acres with a maximum depth of 4 feet. This standard survey was conducted the week of June…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cramer Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CramerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Cramer (0753)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CramerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
4 ft
Surface area
68 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
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,385 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cramer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cramer Lake in Lake 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 Cramer Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Cramer Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2023–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Cramer Lake
Where is Cramer Lake?
- Cramer Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cramer Lake?
- Cramer Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Maximum depth: 4 ft. Surface area: 68.31 acres.
Is Cramer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cramer Lake?
- Cramer Lake has a maximum depth of 4 feet. The lake covers 68.31 acres.
What fish are in Cramer Lake?
- Fish species found in Cramer Lake include brook trout, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch. Cramer Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cramer Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2019 caught 8.00 northern pike per gill net at Cramer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–37 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cramer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Cramer Lake?
- Public access to Cramer Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Cramer Lake across LakeQuality
3 documented falls within 14.7 mi, nearest Caribou Falls
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Cramer Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA6 samples · 2023–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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