Inguadona Lake
Inguadona Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 79 ft. Surface area: 1132.92 acres.
- Clarity
- 12 ft
- Typical in August
- 65°F
- Max depth
- 79 ft
- Area
- 1,133 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 22
- Open water
- 224 days
Next lake in Cass County
Inguadona Lake is a 1,133-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 79 feet (20-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Inguadona Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Inguadona Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Inguadona Lake in Cass 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.
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Water Temperature
Inguadona Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 208 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Inguadona Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (118,032 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 79 ft |
| Average Depth | 20.3 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,133 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 11 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 50% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Inguadona Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.37 | — |
| BCS | 12.57 | — |
| PGS | 11.48 | — |
| LGP | 9.38 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 7.04 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 6.38 | 0.21 lb |
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
Bluegill
From the 2025-07-31 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Inguadona Lake, which is located partially within the Leech Lake Reservation, on July 31st, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Inguadona Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — InguadonaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Inguadona (1612)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — InguadonaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — InguadonaPublic 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 | -0.138 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.04 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (19 observations).
Estimated open water season: 224 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-06 (2021) | 2022-05-06 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-20 (2018) | 2015-12-20 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-20
EPA Impairment Status
Inguadona 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 MN11-0120-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.33 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #27 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Inguadona Lake
What is the water quality grade for Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 79 ft. Surface area: 1132.92 acres.
Is Inguadona Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Inguadona Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in August, from 208 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake has a maximum depth of 79 feet and an average depth of 20.3 feet. The lake covers 1132.92 acres.
What fish are in Inguadona Lake?
- Fish species found in Inguadona Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Inguadona Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
When does Inguadona Lake thaw?
- Inguadona Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Does Inguadona Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Inguadona Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (118,032 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Inguadona Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
225 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA189 samples · 2020–2025 - Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX36 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate