Gladstone Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota437 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gladstone Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Gladstone Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 437.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 20.33 northern pike per gill net at Gladstone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–37 inches. DNR survey details →
Gladstone Lake is a 437-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Gladstone Lake ranks #45 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Gladstone Lake covers about 440 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 8, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Gladstone Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Gladstone Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Gladstone 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 Gladstone Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gladstone 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Gladstone Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 20.33 northern pike per gill net at Gladstone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–37 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gladstone Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-17 (Standard Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 40.59 | 2–9 in 2024-06-17 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 20.16 | 4–18 in 2024-06-17 | 1.17 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.79 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 8.08 | 6–12 in 2024-06-17 | 0.56 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.87 | 8–37 in 2024-06-17 | 1.16 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.
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2024-06-17 survey
Gladstone is a 407 acre lake located 10 miles north of Brainerd in Crow Wing County. Gladstone reaches depths of 36 feet, with 60% of the lake less than 15 feet deep. Emergent vegetation such as cattails and bulrush beds are located around the lake. Protection of aquatic vegetation, especially emergent vegetation, is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gladstone Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GladstoneFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gladstone (0361)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GladstonePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
437 acres
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Littoral zone
56%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,184 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Gladstone 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 Gladstone Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gladstone 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Gladstone Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Gladstone Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Gladstone 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 27, 2016 · Latest May 1, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 8, 2019 · Latest Dec 10, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Apr 30
2023
14 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Gladstone Lake
Where is Gladstone Lake?
- Gladstone Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gladstone Lake?
- Gladstone Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 437.05 acres.
Is Gladstone Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Gladstone Lake?
- Gladstone Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 437.05 acres.
What fish are in Gladstone Lake?
- Fish species found in Gladstone Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Gladstone Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Gladstone Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 20.33 northern pike per gill net at Gladstone Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–37 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gladstone Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Gladstone Lake thaw?
- Gladstone Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Are there boat ramps on Gladstone Lake?
- Gladstone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gladstone Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Gladstone Lake?
- Gladstone 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 Gladstone Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Brainerd Lakes area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Mille Lacs Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Compare Gladstone Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
56 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
MNPCA56 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate