Edna Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota156 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Edna Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Edna Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 156.45 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Edna Lake. DNR survey details →
Edna Lake is a 156-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 63 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Edna Lake ranks #59 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Edna Lake covers about 160 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Edna Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Edna Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water63 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Edna 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 Edna Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Edna 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 18 ft down. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/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 Edna Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Edna Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Edna 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
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2015-06-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 87.49 | 3–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.1 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 9.36 | 4–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.93 | 8–12 in 2015-06-15 | 0.51 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.67 | 15–32 in 2015-06-15 | 1.51 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.61 | 3–8 in 2015-06-15 | 0.22 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.83 | 7–19 in 2015-06-15 | 0.95 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
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2015-06-15 survey
Edna Lake is a 156 acre lake in west-central Crow Wing County, just north of the city of Nisswa. The maximum depth is 63 feet. The primary management species for Edna are northern pike and walleye. A standard survey was conducted the week of June 15, 2015. The northern pike catch rate was 5.2/gill net. This is close…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Edna Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EdnaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Edna (0196)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EdnaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EdnaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
63 ft
Surface area
156 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
22 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,191 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Edna 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 Edna Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Edna 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 Edna Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Edna Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Edna Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 2, 1979
Most recent ice-out
Mar 12
2024
32 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Edna Lake
Where is Edna Lake?
- Edna 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 Edna Lake?
- Edna Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 156.45 acres.
Is Edna Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Edna Lake?
- Edna Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake covers 156.45 acres.
What fish are in Edna Lake?
- Fish species found in Edna Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead. Edna Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Edna Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 15, 2015 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Edna Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Edna 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.
When does Edna Lake thaw?
- Edna Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16.
Are there boat ramps on Edna Lake?
- Edna Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Edna Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Edna Lake?
- Edna 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 Edna Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate