East Fox Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota241 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Fox Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
East Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 240.88 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at East Fox Lake. DNR survey details →
East Fox Lake is a 241-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, East Fox Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
East Fox Lake covers about 240 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 26, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around East Fox Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What East Fox Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 26
- Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Fox 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 East Fox Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for East Fox Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about East Fox Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
East Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 113 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full East Fox Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at East Fox Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Fox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
19 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).
19 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 33.94 | ||
| Bluegill | 16.40 | 2–9 in 2025-07-28 | 0.18 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 6.27 | 5 in 2025-05-07 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.68 | 4–19 in 2025-07-28 | 0.66 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 5.21 | 3–8 in 2025-07-28 | 0.26 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
Green Sunfish
Largemouth Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2025-07-28 survey
East Fox is a 240 acre lake that is located one mile west of Fifty Lakes in Crow Wing County. A public access is on the north shoreline. East Fox reaches depths of 65 feet, with 42% of the lake 15 feet deep or less. Water clarity measured during the 2025 survey was excellent, with a Secchi depth of 17 feet. A standard…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Fox Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East FoxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — East Fox (0230)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — East FoxFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — East FoxPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
241 acres
Shoreline
4.5 mi
Littoral zone
42%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- East Fox LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near East Fox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near East Fox Lake in Crow Wing 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 East Fox Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing East Fox Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.09 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.12 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 26
Earliest Apr 13, 2006 · Latest May 6, 2022
Most recent ice-out
May 5
2022
4 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about East Fox Lake
Where is East Fox Lake?
- East Fox Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of East Fox Lake?
- East Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 240.88 acres.
Is East Fox Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of East Fox Lake?
- East Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 113 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is East Fox Lake?
- East Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 240.88 acres.
What fish are in East Fox Lake?
- Fish species found in East Fox Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. East Fox Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Fox Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at East Fox Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Fox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does East Fox Lake thaw?
- East Fox Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26.
Are there boat ramps on East Fox Lake?
- East Fox Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include East Fox Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at East Fox Lake?
- East Fox 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 East Fox Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
157 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
MNPCA157 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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate