Devil'S Lake
Kanabec County, Minnesota59 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Devil'S Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 19 ft max depth
- Limited data
Devil'S Lake in Kanabec County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 58.65 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2007 caught 0.50 northern pike per gill net at Devil'S Lake. DNR survey details →
Devil'S Lake is a 59-acre lake in Kanabec County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet (14-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Devil'S 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 Devil'S Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Devil'S Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Devil'S Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2007 caught 0.50 northern pike per gill net at Devil'S Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Devil'S 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-07-09 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2007-07-09 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 31.08 | 9–13 in 2007-07-09 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.04 | 5 in 2007-07-09 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.00 | 3–8 in 2007-07-09 | 0.26 lb |
| White Crappie | 3.88 | 0.23 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 2.95 | 5–11 in 2007-07-09 | 0.18 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 1.90 | 15–19 in 2007-07-09 | 1.64 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2007-07-09 survey
Minnesota lakes managed for fishing are grouped into classes based on physical, chemical, and biological similarities. Devils Lake is a small, clear, shallow lake with a relatively regular shape, which places it in lake class 33. Only one northern pike, 27.4 inches, was captured by the gill nets. The northern pike…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Devil'S Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DevilsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Devils (0239)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Average depth
13.5 ft
Surface area
59 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
951 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Devil'S Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Devil'S Lake
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Fishing Devil'S Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Kanabec County
Frequently asked questions about Devil'S Lake
Where is Devil'S Lake?
- Devil'S Lake is a lake in Kanabec County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Devil'S Lake?
- Devil'S Lake in Kanabec County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 58.65 acres.
Is Devil'S Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Devil'S Lake?
- Devil'S Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet and an average depth of 13.5 feet. The lake covers 58.65 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Devil'S Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2007 caught 0.50 northern pike per gill net at Devil'S Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Devil'S 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.
Can I fish at Devil'S Lake?
- Public access to Devil'S Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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.
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA8 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder