Grave Lake
Grave Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 168.57 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 13 ft
- Area
- 169 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 21
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Grave Lake →
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Grave Lake is a 169-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Grave Lake ranks #84 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 24.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 60.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 47 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Grave Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Grave 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Grave Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Grave Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Grave Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 37 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Grave Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 169 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Grave Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2002-07-08 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.33 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 15.74 | 0.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.79 | 1.6 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.11 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 3.83 | 0.99 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.29 | 0.66 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.
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2002-07-08 survey
Grave Lake is a 157 acre lake located about 8 miles east of Brainerd in Crow Wing County. There is no public access on the lake. The lake is heavily developed with 65 homes/cabins along 2 miles of shoreline. The maximum depth is 13'. Shallow water substrates are primarily sand and gravel. The aquatic plant community…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Grave Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GraveFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Grave (0068)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.025 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.75 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -6.61 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-20 (2016) | 2013-05-08 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2021-11-19 (2021) | 2015-11-22 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-24
EPA Impairment Status
Grave Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0110-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #84 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Grave Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Grave Lake
What is the water quality grade for Grave Lake?
- Grave Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 168.57 acres.
Is Grave Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Grave Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 24.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Grave Lake?
- Grave Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 37 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Grave Lake?
- Grave Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 168.57 acres.
What fish are in Grave Lake?
- Fish species found in Grave Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Grave Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Grave Lake thaw?
- Grave Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Explore Grave Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA56 samples · 2021–2025
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)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate