Darling Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota1,050 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Darling Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 62 ft max depth
Darling Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 1049.99 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 2.25 walleye per gill net at Darling Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Darling Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Darling Lake is a 1,050-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 62 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Darling Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Darling Lake covers about 1,000 acres in Douglas County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Darling Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Darling Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water62 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,050 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Darling Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Darling 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 Darling Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Darling Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.7 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Darling Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Darling Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Sep (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 58 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Darling Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Darling Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (82,414 cells/mL) on November 15, 2025.
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 July 15, 2024 caught 2.25 walleye per gill net at Darling Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Darling 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
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.05 | ||
| Bluegill | 30.40 | 3–8 in 2024-07-15 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 27.93 | 5–18 in 2024-07-15 | 0.87 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-15 survey
Lake Darling is a 1,050-acre basin located on the northwest edge of the city of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There is no public access on Lake Darling. However, boaters can gain access via a navigable channel from Lake Carlos. Additionally, Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center is located…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Darling Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DarlingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DarlingFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
62 ft
Surface area
1,050 acres
Shoreline
6.8 mi
Littoral zone
53%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Arrowhead Resort and Conference CenterSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Darling Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Darling Lake in Douglas 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 Darling 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Darling Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Darling 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
Phosphorus
Improving-1.73 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.22 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 31, 2017 · Latest May 1, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 22, 1989 · Latest Dec 1, 1984
Most recent ice-out
Mar 31
2017
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Darling 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 MN21-0080-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Darling Lake
Where is Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 1049.99 acres.
Is Darling Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Darling 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 Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 58 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake has a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake covers 1049.99 acres.
What fish are in Darling Lake?
- Fish species found in Darling Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Darling Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Darling Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 2.25 walleye per gill net at Darling Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Darling 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 Darling Lake thaw?
- Darling Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Does Darling Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Darling Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (82,414 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Arrowhead Resort and Conference Center. Public access is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm the landing before you trailer a boat.
Can I fish at Darling Lake?
- Darling 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 Darling Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Douglas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Alexandria Lakes area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Darling Lake
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Compare Darling Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
217 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
MNPCA217 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate