Gull Lake
Cass County, MinnesotaMesotrophic
Gull Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Cass County. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.
A TSI near 40 places Gull Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Gull Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 80 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. Gull Lake covers 10,010 acres alongside 46.1 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 132 graded lakes in Cass County, Gull Lake sits at rank 57, above the county median.
Gull Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Gull Lake's fishery is anchored by muskellunge, with 22 documented species in total — a destination water for muskie anglers. A documented public access point at Gull Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 98 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 21. 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 2024-08-13. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.5 ft | B |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | A |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft |
| Surface Area | 10.0K acres |
| Shoreline Length | 46.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 28% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Gull Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Gull Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Gull 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.
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (138 observations).
Estimated open water season: 224 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-17 (2024) | 1950-05-18 (1950) |
| Ice-In | 1959-11-14 (1959) | 1998-12-22 (1998) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-18
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #57 of 132 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Gull Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Gull Lake With Nearby Lakes
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
37 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-23 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 51.50 | 0.11 lb |
| Walleye | 31.64 | 1.24 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.07 | 0.89 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.44 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 11.66 | 3.38 lb |
| LND | 11.25 | — |
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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-23 survey
Gull Lake is normally stocked annually with Walleye fry at the rate of 1,000 per littoral acre (2,825,000 fry). Fingerlings are stocked on a contingency basis if fall electrofishing results are less than 30 young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye per hour for two consecutive years; fingerlings were last stocked in the fall of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gull Lake. 5 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GullFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gull (1532)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gull (1539)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GullFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GullPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Gull Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gull Dam (completed 1912), built primarily for recreation on the GULL RIVER; concrete-type dam, 15 ft tall and 276 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 61,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 75,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 287 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USACE - St. Paul District
All listed purposes: Recreation;Other;Navigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00596 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Gull 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 MN11-0305-00 · 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-08-13
Monitoring stations: 4