Little Chippewa Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota271 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Chippewa Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Chippewa Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 271.42 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2025 caught 41.12 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Chippewa Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–19 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Chippewa Lake is a 271-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 24 feet (15-foot average). The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Chippewa Lake covers about 270 acres in Douglas County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 9, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Little Chippewa Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Little Chippewa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 9
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Chippewa 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 Little Chippewa Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Chippewa 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 9.3 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.3ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Chippewa Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Chippewa Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 62 field readings (2019–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Chippewa Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2025 caught 41.12 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Chippewa Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Chippewa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-18 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.54 | 3–9 in 2025-06-30 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 25.45 | 2–19 in 2025-06-30 | 1.11 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 23.55 | 5–7 in 2025-06-30 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 10.85 | 11–13 in 2009-06-22 | 0.74 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.68 |
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-07-18 survey
This nearshore survey was conducted during summer 2025 to assess populations of non-game species and small game fish using backpack electrofishing and seining. Backpack electrofishing and/or seining were conducted at 10 stations, representing a variety of habitat types, along the shoreline of Little Chippewa Lake. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Chippewa Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little ChippewaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Chippewa (1065)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little ChippewaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little ChippewaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
24 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
271 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,345 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Chippewa 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 Little Chippewa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Chippewa Lake in Douglas 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 Little Chippewa Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Little Chippewa Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Chippewa Lake
- → Little Chippewa Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Chippewa Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Chippewa Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Chippewa Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 9
Earliest Mar 16, 2016 · Latest Apr 14, 2002
Typical ice-in
Dec 16
Earliest Nov 14, 2002 · Latest Dec 16, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 16
2016
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Little Chippewa Lake
Where is Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 271.42 acres.
Is Little Chippewa Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 62 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 271.42 acres.
What fish are in Little Chippewa Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Chippewa Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Chippewa Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Chippewa Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2025 caught 41.12 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Chippewa Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Chippewa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Chippewa Lake thaw?
- Little Chippewa Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 9. Ice typically forms around Dec 16. The open water season is approximately 251 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Chippewa Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Chippewa Lake?
- Little Chippewa 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 Little Chippewa Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
34 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
MNPCA34 samples · 2021–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate