Cramer Lake

Cramer Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. Cramer Lake is a shallow lake at 4 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. Cramer Lake is small — 68 acres alongside 2.0 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Within Lake County's 142 graded waters, Cramer Lake sits at rank 26, near the top of the local distribution.

Cramer Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. 5 fish species are documented at Cramer Lake, a mixed warm-water community typical for Minnesota lakes of this size. A documented public access point at Cramer Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.