Ice Cracking Lake
Becker County, Minnesota345 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ice Cracking Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 73 ft max depth
- Limited data
Ice Cracking Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 345.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2004 caught 4.44 walleye per gill net at Ice Cracking Lake. DNR survey details →
Ice Cracking Lake is a 345-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Ice Cracking Lake ranks #48 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ice Cracking Lake covers about 350 acres in Becker County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Ice Cracking Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Ice Cracking Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ice Cracking 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 Ice Cracking Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ice Cracking Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ice Cracking Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2004 caught 4.44 walleye per gill net at Ice Cracking Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ice Cracking Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2004-08-09 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2004-08-09 (Standard Survey)
22 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15.26 | 2–9 in 2004-08-09 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.50 | 8–12 in 2004-08-09 | 0.8 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.91 | 6–14 in 2004-08-09 | 0.76 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.30 | 11–30 in 2004-08-09 | 1.82 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.88 | 5–8 in 2004-08-09 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.19 | 4–8 in 2004-08-09 | 0.22 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
Yellow Bullhead
Tullibee (Cisco)
Northern Pike
From the 2004-08-09 survey
Ice Cracking Lake is a 331 acre lake located in northeastern Becker County along the east edge of the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. There is no public access but there is a resort/campground with a privately owned access on the east end of the lake. The lake lies within the boundaries of the White Earth Indian…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ice Cracking Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Ice CrackingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Ice CrackingFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
345 acres
Shoreline
3.8 mi
Littoral zone
23%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
109 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,490 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ice Cracking Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ice Cracking Lake in Becker 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 Ice Cracking Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Ice Cracking Lake
- → Ice Cracking Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Ice Cracking Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Ice Cracking Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Ice Cracking Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.25 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.45 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Ice Cracking Lake
Where is Ice Cracking Lake?
- Ice Cracking Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ice Cracking Lake?
- Ice Cracking Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 345.32 acres.
Is Ice Cracking Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ice Cracking Lake?
- Ice Cracking Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 345.32 acres.
What fish are in Ice Cracking Lake?
- Fish species found in Ice Cracking Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ice Cracking Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ice Cracking Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2004 caught 4.44 walleye per gill net at Ice Cracking Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ice Cracking Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Ice Cracking Lake?
- Public access to Ice Cracking 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 Ice Cracking Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Becker County
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX36 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder