Darling Lake
Darling Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 14 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 62 ft
- Area
- 1,050 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 226 days
Next lake in Douglas County
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. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. 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 14 ft. Phosphorus level: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Darling Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 62 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,050 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 53% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Arrowhead Resort and Conference CenterSemi-private
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.05 | — |
| Bluegill | 30.40 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 27.93 | 0.87 lb |
| CSH | 24.62 | — |
| BKS | 22.63 | — |
| MMS | 19.37 | — |
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
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.269 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.73 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.22 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
Estimated open water season: 226 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-03-31 (2017) | 2008-05-01 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 1989-11-22 (1989) | 1984-12-01 (1984) |
Most recent ice-out: 2017-03-31
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN21-0080-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 37 lakes in Douglas County
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Darling Lake
What is the water quality grade for Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Darling Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Darling Lake?
- Darling Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Darling Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Douglas County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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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)
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