Grave Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota169 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Grave Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 13 ft max depth
Grave Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2002 caught 17.67 northern pike per gill net at Grave Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–29 inches. DNR survey details →
Grave Lake is a 169-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Grave Lake covers about 170 acres in Crow Wing County. The median ice-out date is April 21, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Grave Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Grave Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Grave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Grave 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 Grave Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Grave Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 24.5 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 47µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 24.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Grave Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Grave Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (76°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2002 caught 17.67 northern pike per gill net at Grave Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–29 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grave Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2002-07-08 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2002-07-08 (Standard Survey)
24 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.33 | 1–9 in 2002-07-08 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 15.74 | 2–11 in 2002-07-08 | 0.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.79 | 6–29 in 2002-07-08 | 1.6 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.11 | 3–8 in 2002-07-08 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.83 | 9–13 in 2002-07-08 | 0.99 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.29 | 4–13 in 2002-07-08 | 0.66 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
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
Lake Details
Max depth
13 ft
Surface area
169 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,204 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Grave Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Grave 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Grave Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.75 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-6.61 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Mar 20, 2016 · Latest May 8, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2022
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0110-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Grave Lake
Where is Grave Lake?
- Grave 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 Grave Lake?
- Grave Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Grave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Grave Lake?
- Grave Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Grave Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2002 caught 17.67 northern pike per gill net at Grave Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–29 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grave Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Grave Lake thaw?
- Grave Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Can I fish at Grave Lake?
- Public access to Grave Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Grave Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
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