Little Toad Lake
Becker County, Minnesota406 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Toad Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Toad Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 406.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Little Toad Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Toad Lake is a 406-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet (24-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Little Toad Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Toad Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water65 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 Toad 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 Toad Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Toad Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | 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) | 5.1µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Toad Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Toad Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (62,517 cells/mL) on November 15, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Little Toad Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Toad 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
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 23.64 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 20.79 | 5–6 in 2025-08-04 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.97 | 3–9 in 2025-08-04 | 0.21 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2025-08-04 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Little Toad Lake, was conducted on August 4th-5th, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Toad Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little ToadFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Toad (0999)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little ToadFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little ToadPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Average depth
23.6 ft
Surface area
406 acres
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Littoral zone
26%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,434 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Toad 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 Toad Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Toad Lake
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Follow Little Toad Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Toad Lake
- → Little Toad Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Toad Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Toad Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Toad Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.56 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.38 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Apr 3, 2000 · Latest May 7, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 19, 2004
Most recent ice-out
May 7
2022
36 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Toad Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Toad Lake (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Toad River; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 237 ft long.
- Surface area
- 405 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 12 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00024 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Little Toad Lake
Where is Little Toad Lake?
- Little Toad Lake is a lake in Becker 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 Toad Lake?
- Little Toad Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 406.32 acres.
Is Little Toad Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Toad Lake?
- Little Toad Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet and an average depth of 23.6 feet. The lake covers 406.32 acres.
What fish are in Little Toad Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Toad Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Toad Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Toad Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.67 northern pike per trap net at Little Toad Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Toad 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 Toad Lake thaw?
- Little Toad Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Does Little Toad Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Toad Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (62,517 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Little Toad Lake?
- Little Toad Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Toad Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Toad Lake?
- Little Toad 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 Toad Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Becker County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
113 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
MNPCA113 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 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
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