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Cross Lk Reservoir

Crow Wing County, MinnesotaOligotrophic

Cross Lk Reservoir earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Crow Wing County. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI value of 38 puts Cross Lk Reservoir in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Cross Lk Reservoir ranks 29 of 120 in Crow Wing County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Zebra mussel presence at Cross Lk Reservoir means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Cross Lk Reservoir, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Crystal clear, you can see 16.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)16.8 ftA
Phosphorus11 µg/LA
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)38Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

zebra mussel

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.172 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+0.6 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #29 of 120 lakes in Crow Wing County

Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cross Lk Reservoir. 1 report on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Cross Lk Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0312-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.81 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2024-09-27

Monitoring stations: 6