Fifth Chain Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota193 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fifth Chain Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fifth Chain Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 192.82 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1987 caught 5.20 northern pike per gill net at Fifth Chain Lake. DNR survey details →
Fifth Chain Lake is a 193-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Fifth Chain Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fifth Chain 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 Fifth Chain Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fifth Chain Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Fifth Chain Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fifth Chain Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Sep (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fifth Chain Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1987 caught 5.20 northern pike per gill net at Fifth Chain Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fifth Chain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-06-17 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-06-17 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 21.00 | 0.17 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 3.50 | 0.54 lb | |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.00 | 1.25 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.86 | 1.91 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 2.10 | 0.32 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.
From the 1987-06-17 survey
NORTHERN PIKE ABUNDANCE AND SIZE ARE GOOD. BLUEGILL ABUNDANT, BUT VERY SMALL. YELLOW PERCH POPULATION IS VERY LOW.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fifth Chain Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElizabethFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
193 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Gunn Lake ChainPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fifth Chain Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Fifth Chain Lake
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Follow Fifth Chain Lake’s readings
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Fishing Fifth Chain Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Fifth Chain Lake
Where is Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 192.82 acres.
Is Fifth Chain 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 Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 192.82 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fifth Chain Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1987 caught 5.20 northern pike per gill net at Fifth Chain Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fifth Chain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gunn Lake Chain. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fifth Chain Lake?
- Fifth Chain 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.
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Where this data comes from
44 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
MNPCA44 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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