Little Pine Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota330 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Pine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 36 ft max depth
Little Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 1.11 walleye per gill net at Little Pine Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Pine Lake is a 330-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet (10-foot average). 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Pine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 20
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Pine 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 Pine Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Pine Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.8 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Pine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Pine Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (72°F).
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 1.11 walleye per gill net at Little Pine Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.90 | ||
| Bluegill | 23.95 | 2–8 in 2024-07-01 | 0.2 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 14.00 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.16 | 7–12 in 2024-07-01 | 0.64 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
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
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
330 acres
Shoreline
6.2 mi
Littoral zone
68%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Little Pine Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Pine Lake
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Follow Little Pine Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Pine Lake
- → Little Pine Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Pine Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Pine Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Pine 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.77 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.95 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 20
Earliest Apr 12, 2015 · Latest May 5, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 13, 2018 · Latest Dec 4, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 15
2025
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Little Pine Lake
Where is Little Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake is a lake in Crow Wing 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 Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Pine Lake?
- Little Pine Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Pine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 1.11 walleye per gill net at Little Pine Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Little Pine Lake?
- Public access to Little Pine Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Pine Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Top lakes and where to stay in the Mille Lacs Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Little Pine Lake
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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)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate