Kego Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota296 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Kego Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
Kego Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 296.13 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 0.33 northern pike per trap net at Kego Lake. DNR survey details →
Kego Lake is a 296-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Kego Lake ranks #77 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Kego Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Kego Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Kego 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 Kego Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Kego Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Kego Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Kego Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Kego Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 0.33 northern pike per trap net at Kego Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kego Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 180.87 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 34.75 | 6 in 2024-08-05 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 32.09 | 4–10 in 2024-08-05 | 0.29 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 21.86 | 5 in 2024-08-05 | 0.07 lb |
| Bluegill | 21.69 | 2–8 in 2024-08-05 | 0.24 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
Black Crappie
Golden Shiner
Bluegill
From the 2024-08-05 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Kego Lake was conducted on August 5-6, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kego Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KegoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Kego (0236)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KegoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
296 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,280 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kego LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Kego Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kego Lake in Crow Wing 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 Kego Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Kego Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Kego 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0293-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Kego Lake
Where is Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 296.13 acres.
Is Kego Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Kego Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 296.13 acres.
What fish are in Kego Lake?
- Fish species found in Kego Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Kego Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Kego Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 0.33 northern pike per trap net at Kego Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kego Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kego Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Kego Lake?
- Kego Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Kego Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA86 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory