Gun Lake
Gun Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 711.9 acres.
- Clarity
- 7 ft
- Typical in August
- 69°F
- Max depth
- 44 ft
- Area
- 712 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 16
- Open water
- 230 days
Next lake in Aitkin County
Why Gun Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Gun Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Gun Lake is a 712-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet (18-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Gun Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Trophic State Index: 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Gun Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gun Lake in Aitkin 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 Gun Lake
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Water Temperature
Gun Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in Apr (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gun Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 44 ft |
| Average Depth | 18 ft |
| Surface Area | 712 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 8.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 41% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- French LakePublic
- Gun LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Gun Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 14.42 | 0.22 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 12.54 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 8.58 | 0.1 lb |
| JND | 6.97 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.74 | 1.33 lb |
| GOS | 6.69 | — |
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
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-09-17 survey
Fall night electrofishing was conducted on 9/17/2025 to monitor the success of Walleye fry stocking on Gun Lake. Walleye fry were stocked annually from 2011 to 2016, however these stocking events resulted in poor year class strength indexes. Due to poor fry survival and recruitment, annual fingerling stocking resumed…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gun Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GunFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gun (0146)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GunFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GunPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.159 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (25 observations).
Estimated open water season: 230 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-14 (2024) | 2013-05-10 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2003-11-21 (2003) | 2015-12-22 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-14
EPA Impairment Status
Gun 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 MN01-0099-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Gun Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Palisade WwtpPalisade · 4.8 mi away · NPDES MN0050997Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Gun Lake
What is the water quality grade for Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 711.9 acres.
Is Gun Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Gun Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in August, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and an average depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 711.9 acres.
What fish are in Gun Lake?
- Fish species found in Gun Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Gun Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
When does Gun Lake thaw?
- Gun Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 230 days.
Are there boat ramps on Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include French Lake, Gun Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Gun Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
71 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
MNPCA71 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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