Minnewawa Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota2,351 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Minnewawa Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Minnewawa Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 2351.26 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.75 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Minnewawa Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Minnewawa Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Minnewawa Lake is a 2,351-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet (8-foot average). The lake supports 15 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Aitkin County, Minnewawa Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Minnewawa Lake covers about 2,400 acres in Aitkin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 18, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Minnewawa Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Minnewawa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Big water2,351 acres
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 Minnewawa 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 Minnewawa Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Minnewawa Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 24.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Minnewawa Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.75 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Minnewawa Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Minnewawa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-22 (Targeted Survey).
22 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.22 | 2–9 in 2024-07-15 | 0.25 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.99 | 4–10 in 2024-07-15 | 0.16 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 8.50 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.76 | 6–14 in 2024-07-15 | 0.83 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.91 | 4–18 in 2024-07-15 | 1.28 lb |
| Walleye | 4.11 | 10–26 in 2024-07-15 | 2.01 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
Yellow Perch
Yellow Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-22 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Minnewawa was conducted 07/22/2024 by Aitkin Area Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Minnewawa Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MinnewawaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Minnewawa (0137)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MinnewawaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MinnewawaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Average depth
8.2 ft
Surface area
2,351 acres
Shoreline
18.6 mi
Littoral zone
97%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
22 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Minnewawa Lake (West)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Minnewawa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Minnewawa Lake in Aitkin 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 Minnewawa 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Minnewawa Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Minnewawa Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 23
Earliest Nov 7, 2019 · Latest Dec 7, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2020
63 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Minnewawa Lake
Where is Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnewawa Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnewawa Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 2351.26 acres.
Is Minnewawa Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnewawa Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet and an average depth of 8.2 feet. The lake covers 2351.26 acres.
What fish are in Minnewawa Lake?
- Fish species found in Minnewawa Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Minnewawa Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.75 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Minnewawa Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Minnewawa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Minnewawa Lake thaw?
- Minnewawa Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Are there boat ramps on Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnewawa Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Minnewawa Lake (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Minnewawa Lake?
- Minnewawa 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 Minnewawa Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA42 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 (3)
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