Emily Lake
Emily Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 720.73 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 13 ft
- Area
- 721 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 15
- Open water
- 219 days
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Emily Lake →
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Emily Lake is a 721-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Emily Lake ranks #82 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 onlyAlgae risk
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 30 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 53 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 30 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Emily Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Emily 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Emily Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Emily Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Emily Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Emily Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Emily Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (121,339 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 | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 721 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Emily 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-26 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.01 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.97 | 0.21 lb |
| Black Crappie | 10.63 | 0.25 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.29 | 1.1 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.39 | 0.99 lb |
| Walleye | 3.01 | 2.27 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
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2023-06-26 survey
Emily Lake is a 664 acre lake located in Crow Wing County. The city of Emily is located off the northwest corner of the lake. Emily is a fairly shallow lake, with the deepest point only 15' deep. Water clarity is poor for this area, with a secchi disk reading of only 3.5'. A public access is located on the southwest…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Emily Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EmilyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Emily (0434)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EmilyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EmilyPublic 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 | ↓ Declining | -0.073 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.89 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.64 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (38 observations).
Estimated open water season: 219 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-15 (2024) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2017-11-07 (2017) | 2016-12-07 (2016) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-15
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Emily Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Emily (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the Little Pine River; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 36 ft long.
- Surface area
- 694 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,403 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,422 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 68 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Emily
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00052 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Emily Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0203-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #82 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Emily Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Emily Lake
What is the water quality grade for Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 720.73 acres.
Is Emily Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Emily Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 30 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Emily Lake?
- Emily Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 720.73 acres.
What fish are in Emily Lake?
- Fish species found in Emily Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Emily Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Emily Lake thaw?
- Emily Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Does Emily Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Emily Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (121,339 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Emily Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
90 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA90 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 (1)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate