Kimball Lake
Kimball Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 77 ft. Surface area: 189.78 acres.
- Clarity
- 18.4 ft
- Max depth
- 77 ft
- Area
- 190 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Kimball Lake is a 190-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 77 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Kimball Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. 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 18.4 ft down. Phosphorus level: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Kimball Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kimball 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 77 ft |
| Surface Area | 190 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 19% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kimball LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Kimball 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-14 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 28.65 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 21.66 | 0.69 lb |
| Bluegill | 20.89 | 0.07 lb |
| IOD | 20.49 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 11.77 | 0.53 lb |
| JND | 10.05 | — |
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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2024-08-14 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basin in Kimball Lake on August 14, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kimball Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KimballFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Kimball (0183)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — KimballFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KimballPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.108 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.4 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Kimball Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0361-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #22 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Kimball Lake
What is the water quality grade for Kimball Lake?
- Kimball Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 77 ft. Surface area: 189.78 acres.
Is Kimball Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Kimball Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Kimball Lake?
- Kimball Lake has a maximum depth of 77 feet. The lake covers 189.78 acres.
What fish are in Kimball Lake?
- Fish species found in Kimball Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Kimball Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Kimball Lake?
- Kimball Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kimball Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
64 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA64 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 (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory