Crow Wing Lake
Crow Wing Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 378.93 acres.
- Clarity
- 6 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 26 ft
- Area
- 379 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 14
- Open water
- 215 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Why Crow Wing Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Crow Wing Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Crow Wing Lake is a 379-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet (11-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Crow Wing Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Crow Wing Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crow Wing Lake in Crow Wing 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
Crow Wing Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Jun (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2016–2018) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crow Wing Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crow Wing Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (285,759 cells/mL) on May 1, 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 | 26 ft |
| Average Depth | 11 ft |
| Surface Area | 379 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 55% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Crow WingPublic
- Crow Wing LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crow Wing Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-02 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 42.88 | 0.13 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 37.39 | — |
| SUN | 33.04 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 31.93 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.17 | 1.45 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 15.25 | — |
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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-09-02 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Crow Wing Lake was conducted on September 2-3, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crow Wing Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Crow WingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Crow Wing (0203)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Crow WingFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Crow WingPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.61 m/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (82 observations).
Estimated open water season: 215 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-20 (2016) | 1975-04-30 (1975) |
| Ice-In | 1977-10-12 (1977) | 1998-12-08 (1998) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-28
EPA Impairment Status
Crow Wing Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0155-00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Crow Wing Lake
Crow Wing Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Crow Wing Lake
What is the water quality grade for Crow Wing Lake?
- Crow Wing Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 378.93 acres.
Is Crow Wing Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Crow Wing Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Crow Wing Lake?
- Crow Wing Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 57 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2018). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Crow Wing Lake?
- Crow Wing Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 378.93 acres.
What fish are in Crow Wing Lake?
- Fish species found in Crow Wing Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Crow Wing Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Crow Wing Lake thaw?
- Crow Wing Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Nov 15. The open water season is approximately 215 days.
Does Crow Wing Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Crow Wing Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (285,759 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Crow Wing Lake?
- Crow Wing Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crow Wing, Crow Wing Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Crow Wing Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA86 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
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