Divide Lake
Lake County, Minnesota61 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Divide Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 22 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Divide Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 61.11 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on October 10, 2022 caught 8.50 rainbow trout per gill net at Divide Lake. DNR survey details →
Divide Lake is a 61-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet (10-foot average). The lake supports 3 documented fish species including rainbow trout, splake, and white sucker. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Divide Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Divide Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Divide 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 Divide Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Divide 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 10.1 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.1ft | 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Divide Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Divide Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in Oct (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 67 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Divide Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on October 10, 2022 caught 8.50 rainbow trout per gill net at Divide Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Divide Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-01 (Targeted Survey).
22 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 295.21 | ||
| Golden Shiner | 14.23 | 5–6 in 2022-10-10 | 0.06 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.55 | 10 in 1995-06-20 | 0.39 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.
Golden Shiner
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-06-01 survey
Divide Lake is a designated stream trout lake that is stocked annually with yearling Rainbow Trout and fingerling Splake. A survey was completed in 2025 to monitor the amount of cool, well oxygenated habitat available for trout during the summer. Automated temperature loggers were suspended at depths of six, twelve,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Divide Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DivideFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Divide (0865)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DivideFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DividePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
22 ft
Average depth
9.7 ft
Surface area
61 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
60%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,939 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Divide Lake
- Divide Lake Campground0.3 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Divide Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Divide Lake in Lake 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 Divide Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Divide Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Divide 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 MN38-0256-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Divide Lake
Where is Divide Lake?
- Divide Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Divide Lake?
- Divide Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 61.11 acres.
Is Divide Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Divide 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 Divide Lake?
- Divide Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 67 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Divide Lake?
- Divide Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet and an average depth of 9.7 feet. The lake covers 61.11 acres.
What fish are in Divide Lake?
- Fish species found in Divide Lake include rainbow trout, splake, white sucker. Divide Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Divide Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on October 10, 2022 caught 8.50 rainbow trout per gill net at Divide Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Divide Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Divide Lake?
- Public access to Divide Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Are there campgrounds on Divide Lake?
- Divide Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Divide Lake Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Divide Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Eastern Regional Office
USFSEASTERN2 samples · 2021–2023
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles