Lower Cullen Lake
Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 17.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- 39 ft
- Area
- 560 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 15
- Open water
- 229 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Lower Cullen Lake is a 560-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. 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 17.4 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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.
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Water Temperature
Lower Cullen Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft |
| Surface Area | 560 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 32% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lower Cullen LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Cullen 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.86 | 0.14 lb |
| JND | 23.46 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 18.35 | 0.83 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.23 | 0.85 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.60 | 0.14 lb |
| BKF | 8.27 | — |
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
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.3 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.12 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (25 observations).
Estimated open water season: 229 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-12 (2024) | 2022-05-05 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-15 (2002) | 2001-12-19 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-12
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0403-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #58 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Cullen Lake
What is the water quality grade for Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Lower Cullen Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Lower Cullen Lake?
- Lower Cullen Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
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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)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate