Little Spirit Lake
Little Spirit Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 236 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 624.28 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- 8 ft
- Area
- 624 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Little Spirit Lake →
Next lake in Jackson County
Little Spirit Lake is a 624-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 23 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Little Spirit Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-09. 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 236 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 19.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 67.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 236 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 19.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Little Spirit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Spirit Lake in Jackson 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 Spirit Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Spirit Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Little Spirit Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Water Temperature
Little Spirit Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 43 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Spirit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 624 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 10.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 67% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kettleson Hogsback ComplexPublic
- Little Spirit LakePublic
Showing 2 of 5 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Spirit 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
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-10-09 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 37.08 | 0.61 lb |
| Bluegill | 31.35 | 0.29 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 18.65 | 1.68 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.73 | 0.19 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 12.00 | 3.79 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 11.49 | — |
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 Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-10-09 survey
Little Spirit Lake is a 643-acre, class 42 lake located on the Minnesota-Iowa border in Jackson County. Little Spirit Lake has a history of experiencing varying levels of partial winterkill and summer kill conditions due to low dissolved oxygen in the winter and severe algae blooms in the summer. Thus, Little Spirit…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Spirit Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little SpiritFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little SpiritFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little SpiritPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.037 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +40.2 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.17 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Spirit Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN32-0024-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 6 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Little Spirit Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Spirit Lake?
- Little Spirit Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 236 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 624.28 acres.
Is Little Spirit 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 Spirit Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 19.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Spirit Lake?
- Little Spirit Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 43 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Spirit Lake?
- Little Spirit Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 624.28 acres.
What fish are in Little Spirit Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Spirit Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, green sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern pike (silver phase), orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, quillback, shortnose gar, walleye, white bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Spirit Lake is located in Jackson County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Little Spirit Lake?
- Little Spirit Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kettleson Hogsback Complex, Little Spirit Lake, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Spirit Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Jackson County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Where this data comes from
62 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX47 samples · 2021–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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