First Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota69 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for First Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
First Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 69.14 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at First Lake. DNR survey details →
First Lake is a 69-acre mesotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, First Lake ranks #34 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What First Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 First 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 First Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for First Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.9 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about First Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
First Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 93 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full First Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at First Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-06-11 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-06-11 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Bullhead | 245.75 | 0.23 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 134.63 | 0.11 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 33.69 | 0.07 lb | |
| White Sucker | 6.94 | 1.65 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.88 | 2.25 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 2.83 | 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.
From the 1987-06-11 survey
FISH POPULATION IS DOMINATED BY BULLHEADS AND YELLOW PERCH. GILLNET INDEX FOR BULLHEAD WAS WELL ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS AND FISH WERE OF SMALL SIZE (5.7 INCHES). GILLNET INDICES FOR NORTHERN PIKE, WHITE SUCKER, AND ROCK BASS WERE ALSO WELL ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS. WALLEYE, BLUEGILL AND BLACK CRAPPIE ARE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for First Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FirstFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — First (1707)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FirstPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
69 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
29 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,427 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- First 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 First Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near First Lake in Clearwater 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 First Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow First Lake’s readings
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Fishing First Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.55 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about First Lake
Where is First Lake?
- First Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of First Lake?
- First Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 69.14 acres.
Is First 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 First Lake?
- First Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September, from 93 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is First Lake?
- First Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 69.14 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at First Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at First Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First 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.
Are there boat ramps on First Lake?
- First Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include First Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at First Lake?
- First 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 First Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
27 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA27 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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