Crane Lake

On the scoring rubric Crane Lake grades a D: clarity at 6.6 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for St. Louis County.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. The lake's 80 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. With 2,921 acres of surface and 34.0 miles of shoreline, Crane Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Within the 187 graded lakes of St. Louis County, Crane Lake sits at rank 153, near the bottom of the county list.

Crane Lake has at least one documented invasive species (spiny waterflea), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Crane Lake's fishery is anchored by muskellunge, with 12 documented species in total — a destination water for muskie anglers. A documented public access point at Crane Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 6 times at Crane Lake, with a median around Apr 27. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.