Little Lake
Little Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 23 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 168.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 23 ft
- Area
- 168 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 27
- Open water
- 244 days
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Little Lake →
Next lake in Chisago County
Little Lake is a 168-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Little Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 23 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 68 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 23 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Little Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Lake in Chisago 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Little Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Little Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 168 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 74% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little 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: 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 36.02 | 0.25 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 34.57 | 0.61 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 24.55 | 1.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.34 | 0.22 lb |
| GOS | 18.86 | 0.13 lb |
| CNM | 15.82 | — |
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.
Black Crappie
Brown Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-08-25 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community was conducted by Hinckley fisheries staff on Little Lake on August 25, 2025. Nearshore sampling captured 5 species of fish: Brown Bullhead, Central Mudminnow, Golden Shiner, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch. The nearshore survey data is combined with standard gill and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LittleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little (1937)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LittleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LittlePublic 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 | ↓ Declining | -0.073 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.03 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -4.54 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (15 observations).
Estimated open water season: 244 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-02 (2024) | 2008-04-21 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-12 (2018) | 2015-12-20 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-02
EPA Impairment Status
Little 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 MN13-0033-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #18 of 30 lakes in Chisago County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Little Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Little Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Lake?
- Little Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 23 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 168.2 acres.
Is Little Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Little Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 23 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Lake?
- Little Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Lake?
- Little Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 168.2 acres.
What fish are in Little Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Lake is located in Chisago County, Minnesota.
When does Little Lake thaw?
- Little Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 27. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 244 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Lake?
- Little Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
105 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
MNPCA105 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate