Crooked Lake
Anoka County, Minnesota115 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Crooked Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
Crooked Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 114.93 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 11.50 northern pike per gill net at Crooked Lake. DNR survey details →
Crooked Lake is a 115-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Anoka County, Crooked Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Crooked Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Crooked Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crooked 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 Crooked Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Crooked 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 7.1 ft. Phosphorus 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Crooked Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Crooked Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Jan (about 38°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (38°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 529 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crooked Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 11.50 northern pike per gill net at Crooked Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crooked 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
19 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
19 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 8069.84 | 4–19 in 2021-07-19 | 1.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 74.09 | 2–7 in 2021-07-19 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Crappie | 11.27 | 5–8 in 2021-07-19 | 0.15 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.50 | 0.06 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 4.94 | 10 in 1996-07-01 | 0.44 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
From the 2021-07-19 survey
Crooked Lake is a 115 acre lake in Anoka County assigned to lake class 30. Primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, a special catch and release only regulation for Bass was implemented in 2002. Walleye and Channel Catfish have been stocked previously but these efforts were discontinued after 2015 since they failed to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crooked Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CrookedFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CrookedFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CrookedPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
115 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
75%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
133 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
853 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Crooked LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crooked Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crooked Lake in Anoka 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 Crooked Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crooked 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
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.41 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.21 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 10, 2017 · Latest Apr 23, 2014
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 2, 2001 · Latest Dec 1, 2007
Most recent ice-out
Mar 28
2026
25 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Crooked Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN02-0084-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Anoka County
Frequently asked questions about Crooked Lake
Where is Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 114.93 acres.
Is Crooked Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crooked Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 529 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 114.93 acres.
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
- Fish species found in Crooked Lake include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Crooked Lake is located in Anoka County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Crooked Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 11.50 northern pike per gill net at Crooked Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crooked 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 Crooked Lake thaw?
- Crooked Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 236 days.
Are there boat ramps on Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crooked Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Crooked Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
207 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA207 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
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