Edward Lake
Edward Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 2627.92 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 75 ft
- Area
- 2,628 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 14
- Open water
- 228 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Edward Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Edward Lake is a 2,628-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 75 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining 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, Edward Lake ranks #54 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. 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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Edward Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Edward 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.
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Water Temperature
Edward Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 74°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 100 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Edward Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 75 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,628 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 8.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 46% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Edwards LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Edward Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-22 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 37.60 | — |
| BKF | 23.48 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.00 | 0.62 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.61 | 0.18 lb |
| Walleye | 10.16 | 1.73 lb |
| JND | 9.84 | — |
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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2025-09-22 survey
Edward is stocked annually with 2 million Walleye fry. Night electrofishing was conducted on September 22nd, 2025, to monitor the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleyes. The total sample time was 2 hours, resulting in a YOY Walleye catch rate of 4.5 per hour. These fish ranged in size from 5.3 to 6.5 inches,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Edward Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EdwardFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EdwardFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EdwardPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.168 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.89 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.11 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (32 observations).
Estimated open water season: 228 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-12 (2024) | 2022-05-05 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-12 (2019) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-14
EPA Impairment Status
Edward 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 MN18-0305-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #54 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Edward Lake
What is the water quality grade for Edward Lake?
- Edward Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 2627.92 acres.
Is Edward Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Edward Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Edward Lake?
- Edward Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Edward Lake?
- Edward Lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet. The lake covers 2627.92 acres.
What fish are in Edward Lake?
- Fish species found in Edward Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Edward Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Edward Lake thaw?
- Edward Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Are there boat ramps on Edward Lake?
- Edward Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Edwards Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Edward Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
125 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
MNPCA125 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 (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