Little Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota168 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 23 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 168.2 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 0.93 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Lake is a 168-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 27
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. Little Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little 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 Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 23 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 68µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 23µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (77°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 0.93 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 36.02 | 7–12 in 2017-06-05 | 0.25 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 34.57 | 4–13 in 2025-05-28 | 0.61 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 24.55 | 6–19 in 2017-06-05 | 1.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.34 | 3–9 in 2017-06-05 | 0.22 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 18.86 | 4–5 in 2025-05-28 | 0.13 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
168 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
74%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
909 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little 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 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Little Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Little 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4.54 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 27
Earliest Mar 2, 2024 · Latest Apr 21, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 12, 2018 · Latest Dec 20, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 2
2024
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN13-0033-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Little Lake
Where is Little Lake?
- Little Lake is a lake in Chisago 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 Lake?
- Little Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Lake?
- Little Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2025 caught 0.93 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Little Lake?
- Little 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 Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Chisago County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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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)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate