Fourth Crow Wing Lake
Hubbard County, MinnesotaMesotrophic
Fourth Crow Wing Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.
The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. At only 10 ft deep, Fourth Crow Wing Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake's 434 acres and 4.8 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Fourth Crow Wing Lake ranks 65 of 76 in Hubbard County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.
Fourth Crow Wing Lake has at least one documented invasive species (faucet snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Fourth Crow Wing Lake, one of 16 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
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
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B, Good
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus level: 22 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 48.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | C |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | B |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 10 ft |
| Average Depth | 5 ft |
| Surface Area | 434.2 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 101% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Fourth Crow Wing Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Fourth Crow Wing Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Fourth Crow Wing Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.015 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.3 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #65 of 76 lakes in Hubbard County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Fourth Crow Wing Lake holds Grade B. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
- AIsland LakeHubbard County · mi · Higher grade (B → A)
- ABelle Taine LakeHubbard County · mi · Higher grade (B → A)
- ABig Stony LakeHubbard County · mi · Higher grade (B → A)
- BPalmer LakeHubbard County · mi · Higher overall water quality score
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-29 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BCS | 81.15 | — |
| BNS | 63.50 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 38.42 | 1.72 lb |
| CSH | 19.00 | — |
| BKF | 15.64 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 15.29 | 0.21 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
Yellow Perch
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…
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.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Fourth Crow WingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Fourth Crow Wing (1293)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Fourth Crow WingPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0078-00 · Official waterbody report
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Most recent sample: 2020-09-16
Monitoring stations: 1