Inguadona Lake
Cass County, Minnesota1,133 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Inguadona Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 79 ft max depth
- Public access
Inguadona Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 3.92 walleye per gill net at Inguadona Lake. DNR survey details →
Inguadona Lake is a 1,133-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 79 feet (20-foot average). 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Inguadona Lake covers about 1,100 acres in Cass County. The median ice-out date is April 22, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Inguadona Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Inguadona Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
- Deep water79 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,133 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Inguadona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Inguadona 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 Inguadona Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Inguadona 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 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.5 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.5µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Inguadona Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Inguadona Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 208 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Inguadona Lake water temperature breakdown →
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 3.92 walleye per gill net at Inguadona Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Inguadona Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.37 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 7.04 | 4–7 in 2024-08-05 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 6.38 | 2–10 in 2024-08-05 | 0.21 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
79 ft
Average depth
20.3 ft
Surface area
1,133 acres
Shoreline
11 mi
Littoral zone
50%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Inguadona Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Apr 6, 2021 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Dec 2
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Dec 20, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 20
2025
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0120-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Inguadona Lake
Where is Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Inguadona Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Inguadona Lake?
- Inguadona Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in October, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Inguadona Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 3.92 walleye per gill net at Inguadona Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Inguadona Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Inguadona Lake?
- Public access to Inguadona Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Inguadona Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate