Kid Lake
Kid Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 168.06 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 52 ft
- Area
- 168 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 220 days
Next lake in Cass County
Kid Lake is a 168-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Kid Lake ranks #66 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. 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)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Kid Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kid 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
Kid Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Kid Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 52 ft |
| Surface Area | 168 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 21% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fishing Kid Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-07-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 16.75 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.92 | 0.14 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 5.88 | 0.84 lb |
| Walleye | 4.82 | 1.96 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.21 | 0.19 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.78 | 0.25 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
From the 1990-07-09 survey
Northen cisco have been collected in Kid Lake during the past two assessments, but not during the previous two.The northern pike gillnet catch of 5.0 is within the historical range of 2.5 to 7.0. All of the fish collected during this assessment were less than 26 inches long. Previous assessments sampled fish larger…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kid Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KidFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — KidFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.125 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (18 observations).
Estimated open water season: 220 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2008-03-01 (2008) | 2008-05-04 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-19 (2002) | 2007-11-29 (2007) |
Most recent ice-out: 2015-04-24
EPA Impairment Status
Kid 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 MN11-0283-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.83 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #66 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Kid Lake
What is the water quality grade for Kid Lake?
- Kid Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 168.06 acres.
Is Kid Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Kid Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Kid Lake?
- Kid Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Kid Lake?
- Kid Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet. The lake covers 168.06 acres.
When does Kid Lake thaw?
- Kid Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 220 days.
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Where this data comes from
53 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA53 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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