Crooked Lake
Crooked Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 581.83 acres.
- Clarity
- 12 ft
- Typical in August
- 55°F
- Max depth
- 74 ft
- Area
- 582 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Next lake in Cass County
Crooked Lake is a 582-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 74 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 3 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Crooked Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Crooked Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crooked Lake in Cass 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.
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Water Temperature
Crooked Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 54°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 55°F) and coldest in May (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 395 field readings (2023–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crooked Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crooked Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (111,686 cells/mL) on May 23, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 74 ft |
| Surface Area | 582 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 41% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crooked Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 30.46 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.95 | 0.17 lb |
| CNM | 8.20 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 7.39 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.36 | 1.12 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 4.02 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-08-25 survey
Crooked Lake (DOW# 11-0494; Lake Class 27) is a 565-acre lake, with 237 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 74 feet located near Wilkinson, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the east shore of Welsh Lake and Crooked Lake is accessible…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crooked Lake. 2 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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.46 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +4.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #17 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Crooked Lake
What is the water quality grade for Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 581.83 acres.
Is Crooked Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Crooked Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in August, from 395 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Crooked Lake?
- Crooked Lake has a maximum depth of 74 feet. The lake covers 581.83 acres.
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
- Fish species found in Crooked Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Crooked Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
Does Crooked Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crooked Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (111,686 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Crooked Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
63 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX48 samples · 2023–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder