Little Rabbit Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota172 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Rabbit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Salinity / chlorides
- zebra mussel
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Rabbit Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 172.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 17, 2016 caught 18.54 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Rabbit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–18 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Rabbit Lake is a 172-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-08-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Rabbit Lake covers about 170 acres in Crow Wing County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Little Rabbit Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Little Rabbit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Rabbit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Rabbit 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 Rabbit Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Rabbit 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 13.5 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | 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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Rabbit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Rabbit Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 103 field readings (2016–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Rabbit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 17, 2016 caught 18.54 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Rabbit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Rabbit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-08-17 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2016-08-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.21 | 3–9 in 2016-07-11 | 0.25 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 22.44 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 11.10 | 6–18 in 2016-07-11 | 0.88 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 8.89 |
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
From the 2016-08-17 survey
Little Rabbit Lake is a 172 acre lake located near Riverton in Crow Wing County. Little Rabbit is part of the Mississippi River-Brainerd watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 30'. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Rabbit Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little RabbitFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little RabbitPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Surface area
172 acres
Shoreline
4.7 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Rowe RoadPublic
- Little Rabbit Lake #1Public
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 Rabbit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Rabbit 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Rabbit Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Little Rabbit Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Rabbit Lake
- → Little Rabbit Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Rabbit Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Rabbit Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Rabbit 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 readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Little Rabbit Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Cultural.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0139-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Little Rabbit Lake
Where is Little Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit 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 Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 172.17 acres.
Is Little Rabbit Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Rabbit Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 103 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 172.17 acres.
What fish are in Little Rabbit Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Rabbit Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Rabbit Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Rabbit Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 17, 2016 caught 18.54 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Little Rabbit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–18 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Rabbit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rowe Road, Little Rabbit Lake #1. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Rabbit Lake?
- Little Rabbit Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Rabbit Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA8 samples · 2020–2021
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory