Lone Lake
Lone Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 19.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 69.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 19.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 57°F
- Max depth
- 70 ft
- Area
- 69 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Clearwater County
Lone Lake is a 69-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 70 feet (19-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 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Lone Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. 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 19.4 ft down. Phosphorus level: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 19.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Lone Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lone Lake in Clearwater 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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Water Temperature
Lone Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 55°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 57°F) and coldest in Jun (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 380 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lone Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft |
| Average Depth | 19 ft |
| Surface Area | 69 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 44% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lone LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lone Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-17 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.29 | 0.22 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.11 | 0.39 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.06 | 0.7 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.27 | 1.27 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.60 | 0.39 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.93 | 0.22 lb |
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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2025-06-17 survey
Lone Lake is a 69-acre, moderately developed natural lake located in central Clearwater County, approximately 5 miles north of Bagley, MN. Lone has a water clarity of 18.5 feet, a maximum depth of 70 feet, and no inlets or outlets. A small county-owned public water access is located on the northwestern shore of the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lone Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LoneFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lone (1699)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LoneFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LonePublic 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 | → Stable | +0.004 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.4 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 37 lakes in Clearwater County
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Lone Lake
What is the water quality grade for Lone Lake?
- Lone Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 19.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 69.4 acres.
Is Lone Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Lone Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Lone Lake?
- Lone Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in August, from 380 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lone Lake?
- Lone Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet and an average depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 69.4 acres.
What fish are in Lone Lake?
- Fish species found in Lone Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Lone Lake is located in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Lone Lake?
- Lone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lone Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
86 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
MNPCA86 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