Little Toad Lake
Little Toad Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Max depth
- 65 ft
- Area
- 406 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 19
- Open water
- 223 days
Next lake in Becker County
Little Toad Lake is a 406-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet (24-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 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. 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)
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus level: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Little Toad Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Toad Lake in Becker 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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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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft |
| Average Depth | 23.6 ft |
| Surface Area | 406 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 26% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Toad LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Toad Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 23.64 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 20.79 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.97 | 0.21 lb |
| BNS | 9.84 | — |
| CNM | 7.15 | — |
| BKF | 6.39 | — |
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.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.403 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.56 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.38 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (36 observations).
Estimated open water season: 223 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-04-03 (2000) | 2022-05-07 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 1995-11-12 (1995) | 2004-12-19 (2004) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-05-07
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
County Ranking
Ranked #10 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Little Toad Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Toad Lake?
- Little Toad Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Toad Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
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.
Explore Little Toad Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate