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LakeQuality

Fourth Crow Wing Lake

A
Grade A — Excellent
Excellent · #42 of 68 lakes in the county · 8 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 434 acres · from B
Limited DataMesotrophic

Fourth Crow Wing Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 434.2 acres.

Clarity
8 ft
Max depth
10 ft
Area
434 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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BThird Crow Wing Lake2.5 ft clear · Hubbard CountyView →
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Fourth Crow Wing Lake is a 434-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet (5-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2020. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Fourth Crow Wing Lake ranks #42 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

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

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Park Rapids

Get alerts for Fourth Crow Wing Lake

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus level: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus19.5 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.2 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Fourth Crow Wing Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fourth Crow Wing Lake in Hubbard 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 Fourth Crow Wing Lake

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Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth10 ft
Average Depth5 ft
Surface Area434 acres
Shoreline Length4.8 mi
Littoral Zone101%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
186 sq mi
Elevation
1,352 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • 4th Crow Wing LakePublic
  • 3rd Crow Wing LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Fourth Crow Wing 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.

faucet snail

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-29 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
BCS81.15
BNS63.50
Largemouth Bass38.421.72 lb
CSH19.00
BKF15.64
Yellow Perch15.290.21 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.

Largemouth Bass

9 fish · 617 in · 2024-05-29
32067891011121314151617

Yellow Perch

29 fish · 59 in · 2024-05-29
179056789

From the 2024-05-29 survey

Fourth Crow Wing Lake is located eight miles south of Nevis in southern Hubbard County. Fourth Crow Wing is part of a chain of lakes running from Eleventh Crow Wing Lake at the headwaters, down to First Crow Wing Lake. Fourth Crow Wing Lake has a surface area of 441 acres and a maximum depth of 10 feet. A DNR-owned…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fourth Crow Wing Lake. 3 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.491 m/yr6
Phosphorus Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Declining+1.22 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Fourth Crow Wing Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0078-00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #42 of 68 lakes in Hubbard County

Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County

Frequently asked questions about Fourth Crow Wing Lake

What is the water quality grade for Fourth Crow Wing Lake?

Fourth Crow Wing Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 434.2 acres.

Is Fourth Crow Wing Lake safe to swim in?

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Fourth Crow Wing Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Fourth Crow Wing Lake?

Fourth Crow Wing Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 434.2 acres.

What fish are in Fourth Crow Wing Lake?

Fish species found in Fourth Crow Wing Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Fourth Crow Wing Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.

Are there boat ramps on Fourth Crow Wing Lake?

Fourth Crow Wing Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include 4th Crow Wing Lake, 3rd Crow Wing Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

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 WaterMNPCA14 samples · 2020

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory