Crane Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota2,921 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Crane Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- spiny waterflea
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Crane Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 2920.63 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 31, 2021 caught 17.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Crane Lake is a 2,921-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 80 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and cisco species. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Crane Lake covers about 2,900 acres in St. Louis 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 27, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Crane Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Crane Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 27
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,921 acres
Crane Lake Water Quality Summary (2026)
A printable one-page summary for Crane Lake: clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crane Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. 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.
Murky, only visible to about 6.3 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Crane Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 05129200 (Crane Lake at Crane Lake, MN). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Crane Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crane Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (248,886 cells/mL) on October 26, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 31, 2021 caught 17.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 inches.
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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.48 | 3–19 in 2021-05-31 | 0.98 lb |
| Walleye | 7.82 | 7–23 in 2021-05-31 | 0.8 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.00 | 7–14 in 2006-08-28 | 0.6 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.50 | 5–10 in 2021-05-31 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.02 | 18–33 in 2021-05-31 | 3.04 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.99 | 9–19 in 2021-05-31 | 2.16 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Walleye
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-08-20 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Crane Lake on August 20th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crane Lake. 3 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Crane (1910)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CranePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
80 ft
Surface area
2,921 acres
Shoreline
34 mi
Littoral zone
21%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1,038 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,106 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Crane Lake (East)Public
- Crane Lake (West)Public
- Waters EdgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crane Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crane Lake in St. Louis 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 Crane 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Crane Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Follow Crane Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crane Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 27
Earliest Mar 27, 2012 · Latest May 14, 2014
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2019
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Crane 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: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0616-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Crane Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Crane Lake WwtpCrane Lake · 1.1 mi away · NPDES MN0066371Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Crane Lake
Where is Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake is a lake in St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 2920.63 acres.
Is Crane Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crane Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake covers 2920.63 acres.
What fish are in Crane Lake?
- Fish species found in Crane Lake include black crappie, bluegill, cisco species, muskellunge, northern pike, redhorse, rock bass, sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Crane Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Crane Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 31, 2021 caught 17.67 walleye per gill net at Crane Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 inches. 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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Crane Lake thaw?
- Crane Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 27.
What is the water level at Crane Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Crane Lake is 17.88 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 05129200. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Does Crane Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crane Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (248,886 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Crane Lake?
- Crane Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crane Lake (East), Crane Lake (West), Waters Edge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crane Lake?
- Crane 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 Crane Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
39 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
MNPCA36 samples · 2020–2025 - USGS Minnesota Water Science Center
USGS-MN3 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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