Middle Cullen Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota405 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Middle Cullen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 48 ft max depth
- Public access
Middle Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 405.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 3, 2021 caught 11.78 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Middle Cullen Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–17 inches. DNR survey details →
Middle Cullen Lake is a 405-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Middle Cullen Lake ranks #55 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Middle Cullen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water48 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Middle 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 Middle Cullen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Middle Cullen 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 13.5 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Middle Cullen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Middle Cullen Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 42 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Middle Cullen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 3, 2021 caught 11.78 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Middle Cullen Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–17 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Middle Cullen 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-09-03 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2021-09-03 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.17 | 3–8 in 2021-07-12 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 19.01 | 3–17 in 2021-07-12 | 0.77 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 18.89 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 17.91 | 7–17 in 2021-07-12 | 0.83 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)
From the 2021-09-03 survey
Middle Cullen Lake is a 397 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 48', located 3 miles northeast of the town of Nisswa in Crow Wing County. Middle Cullen is located in the Crow Wing River watershed. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Middle Cullen Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Middle CullenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Middle CullenFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Middle CullenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
48 ft
Surface area
405 acres
Shoreline
5.8 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,188 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Middle 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 Middle Cullen Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Middle Cullen Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Middle Cullen Lake
- → Middle Cullen Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Middle Cullen Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Middle Cullen Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Middle 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 13, 2024 · Latest May 4, 2022
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 15, 2002 · Latest Dec 19, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 13
2024
30 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Cullen Lake
Where is Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle 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 Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 405.19 acres.
Is Middle Cullen 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 Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle Cullen Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 42 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle Cullen Lake has a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake covers 405.19 acres.
What fish are in Middle Cullen Lake?
- Fish species found in Middle Cullen Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Middle Cullen Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Middle Cullen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 3, 2021 caught 11.78 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Middle Cullen Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–17 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Middle Cullen 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 Middle Cullen Lake thaw?
- Middle Cullen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Are there boat ramps on Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle Cullen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Middle Cullen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Middle Cullen Lake?
- Middle 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 Middle Cullen Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
121 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA121 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 (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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate