Mcavity Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota147 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mcavity Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mcavity Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 147 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mcavity Lake. DNR survey details →
Mcavity Lake is a 147-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet (11-foot average). The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Mcavity Lake covers about 150 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 21, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Mcavity Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Mcavity Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mcavity 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 Mcavity Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mcavity 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 17.3 ft down. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Mcavity Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mcavity Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mcavity Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mcavity Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mcavity Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-06-25 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2007-06-25 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 11.42 | 4–11 in 2007-06-25 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.55 | 3–7 in 2007-06-25 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.38 | 6–18 in 2007-06-25 | 1.25 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.93 | 13–33 in 2007-06-25 | 2.53 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.74 | 5–7 in 2007-06-25 | 0.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.63 | 3–7 in 2007-06-25 | 0.17 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.
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2007-06-25 survey
McAvity Lake is a small, clear lake in south central Itasca County. A fisheries population assessment was conducted in June of 2007 to assess the status of the fish community. This assessment included night boat electrofishing to assess the largemouth bass population and test netting with gill and trap nets to assess…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Mcavity Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — McAvityFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — McAvity (0869)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — McAvityPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Average depth
11 ft
Surface area
147 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
69%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,332 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- McAvity 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 Mcavity Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mcavity Lake in Itasca 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 Mcavity Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Mcavity Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mcavity Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 18, 2004 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 13, 2006 · Latest Nov 28, 2023
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2022
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Mcavity Lake
Where is Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 147 acres.
Is Mcavity Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 147 acres.
What fish are in Mcavity Lake?
- Fish species found in Mcavity Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch. Mcavity Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mcavity Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Mcavity Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mcavity Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Mcavity Lake thaw?
- Mcavity Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 214 days.
Are there boat ramps on Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include McAvity Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mcavity Lake?
- Mcavity 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 Mcavity Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Mcavity Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
22 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
MNPCA22 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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