Gun Lake

Gun Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Gun Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Gun Lake reaches 44 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Gun Lake covers 712 acres alongside 8.7 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Gun Lake sits at rank 34 of 53 in Aitkin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Gun Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Gun 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. The lake has a partial ice record — 16 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 16. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.