Kawishi Lake
Lake County, Minnesota372 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Kawishi Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Kawishi Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 371.65 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 9.56 walleye per gill net at Kawishi Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Kawishi Lake is a 372-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including green sunfish, northern pike, and pumpkinseed. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Kawishi Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Kawishi Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Kawishi 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 Kawishi Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Kawishi Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Kawishi Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 9.56 walleye per gill net at Kawishi Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kawishi Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-09-09 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-09-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 39.17 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 16.23 | 5–11 in 2024-09-09 | 0.25 lb |
| White Sucker | 9.80 | 7–21 in 2024-09-09 | 2.1 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 8.88 | ||
| Walleye | 3.73 | 7–26 in 2024-09-09 | 1.26 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
White Sucker
Walleye
From the 2024-09-09 survey
Kawishiwi Lake is a 372-acre lake with dark colored water and a maximum depth of twelve feet that sits on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The access is located at the end of Forest Service 354 and consists of a gravel shoreline where multiple canoes can easily be launched. There is also a Forest…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kawishi Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KawishiwiFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Kawishiwi (1901)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KawishiwiPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
372 acres
Shoreline
11 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,640 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Kawishi Lake
- Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground1.6 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Kawishi Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kawishi Lake in Lake 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 Kawishi 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 →
Follow Kawishi Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Kawishi Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Kawishi 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 MN38-0080-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Kawishi Lake
Where is Kawishi Lake?
- Kawishi Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Kawishi Lake?
- Kawishi Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 371.65 acres.
Is Kawishi Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Kawishi Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kawishi Lake?
- Kawishi Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 371.65 acres.
What fish are in Kawishi Lake?
- Fish species found in Kawishi Lake include green sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Kawishi Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Kawishi Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 9.56 walleye per gill net at Kawishi Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kawishi Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Kawishi Lake?
- Public access to Kawishi 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.
Are there campgrounds on Kawishi Lake?
- Kawishi Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Kawishi Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles