Mckenzie Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota89 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mckenzie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mckenzie Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 89.21 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1991 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Mckenzie Lake. DNR survey details →
Mckenzie Lake is a 89-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Mckenzie Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mckenzie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.6 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mckenzie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.6 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.6 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.6µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Mckenzie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Sep (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mckenzie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1991 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Mckenzie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mckenzie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1991-07-08 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1991-07-08 (Standard Survey)
35 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed | 28.75 | 0.11 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 17.13 | 0.27 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 5.63 | 0.62 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 5.38 | 1.26 lb | |
| White Sucker | 3.17 | 1.96 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.
From the 1991-07-08 survey
NOP, WTS, AND YEP ARE ALL ABOVE THE CLASS 37 QUARTILES FOR NUMBER AND POUNDS PER GILLNETS SET. PMK GREATLY EXCEEDS THE TRAPNET QUARTILES WHILE BLC ARE CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN. BLC NUMBERS HAVE VARIED OVER THE YEARS BUT HAVE ALWAYS HAD SOME STRONG YEAR CLASSES. YEP APPEARED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 1987 SURVEY AND PMK IN…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Mckenzie Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — McKenzieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — McKenzie (1342)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — McKenzieFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — McKenziePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
89 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
85%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,788 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- McKenzie LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Mckenzie Lake
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Fishing Mckenzie Lake
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Mckenzie Lake
Where is Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 89.21 acres.
Is Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 89.21 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mckenzie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1991 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Mckenzie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mckenzie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include McKenzie Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mckenzie Lake?
- Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
27 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX27 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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