Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 389 acres.
- Clarity
- 7 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 35 ft
- Area
- 389 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 225 days
Next lake in Carlton County
Eagle Lake is a 389-acre mesotrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet (23-foot average). Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Eagle Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. 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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus level: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 7.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 23.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Eagle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eagle Lake in Carlton 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
Eagle Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 92 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Eagle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Eagle Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (16,144 cells/mL) on November 22, 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 | 35 ft |
| Average Depth | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 389 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 29% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Eagle LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Eagle Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-23 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 23.09 | 0.14 lb |
| Walleye | 8.28 | 0.74 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.67 | 0.24 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.15 | 1.35 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.88 | 0.45 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.79 | 2.63 lb |
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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-09-23 survey
Eagle Lake is a 389-acre waterbody located 3 miles south of Cromwell, Minnesota, in the Mississippi River Watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet and has a habitat best suited for Black Crappie, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. A state-owned public access is located at the northeast end of the lake. The 2003 Lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Eagle Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EagleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Eagle (0245)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EaglePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.024 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -16 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (32 observations).
Estimated open water season: 225 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-16 (2024) | 2013-05-14 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-10 (2019) | 2006-12-05 (2006) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-16
EPA Impairment Status
Eagle 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 MN09-0057-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 22 lakes in Carlton County
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Eagle Lake
What is the water quality grade for Eagle Lake?
- Eagle Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 389 acres.
Is Eagle Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Eagle Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 7.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Eagle Lake?
- Eagle Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 92 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Eagle Lake?
- Eagle Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet and an average depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 389 acres.
What fish are in Eagle Lake?
- Fish species found in Eagle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Eagle Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
When does Eagle Lake thaw?
- Eagle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 225 days.
Does Eagle Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Eagle Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (16,144 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Eagle Lake?
- Eagle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Eagle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Eagle Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
114 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA114 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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