Little Pine Lake
Little Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 329.86 acres.
- Clarity
- 10 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 36 ft
- Area
- 330 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 20
- Open water
- 221 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Little Pine Lake is a 330-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet (10-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Little Pine Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. 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)
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus level: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 6.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Little Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Pine 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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Water Temperature
Little Pine Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Pine Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (51,523 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 36 ft |
| Average Depth | 10 ft |
| Surface Area | 330 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 68% |
| Public Access | No |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Pine 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MMS | 175.23 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.90 | — |
| Bluegill | 23.95 | 0.2 lb |
| GOS | 14.00 | — |
| CNM | 8.76 | — |
| Yellow Bass | 7.16 | 0.64 lb |
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.
Bluegill
Yellow Bass
From the 2024-07-01 survey
Little Pine Lake is the easternmost lake in the 14,000-acre Whitefish chain of lakes in northern Crow Wing County. At 330 acres Little Pine is one of the smaller lakes in the Whitefish chain. The maximum depth is 36 feet and 68% of the lake is 15 feet deep or less. There is no public access on Little Pine Lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Pine Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little PineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.146 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.77 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.95 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (17 observations).
Estimated open water season: 221 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2015-04-12 (2015) | 2022-05-05 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2006-12-04 (2006) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-15
County Ranking
Ranked #15 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Little Pine Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 329.86 acres.
Is Little Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Pine Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 6.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 329.86 acres.
What fish are in Little Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Pine Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Pine Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Little Pine Lake thaw?
- Little Pine Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Does Little Pine Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Pine Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (51,523 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Little Pine Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
111 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
MNPCA111 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate