Lower Cullen Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota560 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Cullen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 559.97 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Lower Cullen Lake. DNR survey details →
Lower Cullen Lake is a 560-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Lower Cullen Lake ranks #58 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lower Cullen Lake covers about 560 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 15, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lower Cullen Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lower Cullen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water39 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. Lower Cullen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Cullen 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 17.4 ft down. Phosphorus 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lower Cullen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Cullen Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Cullen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Lower Cullen Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Cullen 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.86 | 2–8 in 2021-07-19 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 18.35 | 4–17 in 2021-07-19 | 0.83 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.23 | 7–14 in 2021-07-19 | 0.85 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.60 | 5–8 in 2021-07-19 | 0.14 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2021-07-19 survey
Walleye are not currently stocked into Lower Cullen, but some fish may enter from connected Middle Cullen which is stocked. The catch rate was low in 2021 at 2.1/gill net. Walleye were nice size with an average length of 23.1" and all of the fish measuring over 17". Northern Pike were caught in typical numbers for…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Cullen Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower CullenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower CullenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
39 ft
Surface area
560 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,188 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Cullen Lake
- → Lower Cullen Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Lower Cullen Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Lower Cullen Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Lower Cullen 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 Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.12 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 5, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 15, 2002 · Latest Dec 19, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 12
2024
25 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Cullen Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0403-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Cullen Lake
Where is Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 559.97 acres.
Is Lower Cullen Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lower Cullen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake covers 559.97 acres.
What fish are in Lower Cullen Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Cullen Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lower Cullen Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lower Cullen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 2.11 walleye per gill net at Lower Cullen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake thaw?
- Lower Cullen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Are there boat ramps on Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lower Cullen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
83 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
MNPCA83 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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 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