Crane Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota350 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Crane Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Crane Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 349.64 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1989 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake. DNR survey details →
Crane Lake is a 350-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Crane Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Crane Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Crane 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 Crane Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Crane Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.4 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Crane Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Crane Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 70 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crane Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1989 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crane Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1989-07-25 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1989-07-25 (Standard Survey)
37 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.11 | 0.18 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 9.46 | 0.43 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 5.67 | 0.68 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.85 | 1.15 lb | |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.04 | 0.42 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.73 | 0.23 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.
From the 1989-07-25 survey
Northern pike abundance was 5.5 per gill net lift. Average weight of northern pike was 1.5 lbs. Pike reproduction appears good, as the sample consisted of age-classes II+ through V+. Bluegill abundance was 18.9 per trap net lift, which is below the area median. Five percent of the bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crane Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CraneFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CraneFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Surface area
350 acres
Shoreline
4.5 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
50 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crane Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Crane Lake
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Fishing Crane Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.1 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.8 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Crane Lake
Where is Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 349.64 acres.
Is Crane Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 70 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake covers 349.64 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Crane Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1989 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crane Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Crane Lake?
- Public access to Crane 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.
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Where this data comes from
157 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA157 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 (2)
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