Mitchell Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota429 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mitchell Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 78 ft max depth
- Public access
Mitchell Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 429.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 31, 2020 caught 27.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Mitchell Lake. DNR survey details →
Mitchell Lake is a 429-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 78 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 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, Mitchell Lake ranks #70 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Mitchell Lake covers about 430 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Mitchell Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Mitchell Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water78 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mitchell Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.1 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.1µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Mitchell Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Mitchell Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Aug (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 107 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mitchell Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mitchell Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (84,723 cells/mL) on May 2, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 31, 2020 caught 27.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Mitchell Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mitchell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-02 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-02 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 58.48 | ||
| Spottail Shiner | 40.06 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 10.05 | 4–9 in 2020-07-06 | 0.11 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.
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-08-02 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basin in Mitchell Lake on August 2, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Mitchell Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MitchellFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Mitchell (0235)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MitchellFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MitchellPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
78 ft
Surface area
429 acres
Shoreline
5 mi
Littoral zone
28%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
127 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,250 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mitchell 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mitchell 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.61 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.41 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Apr 7, 2017 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Dec 12
Earliest Nov 19, 2018 · Latest Dec 15, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 17
2025
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Mitchell Lake
Where is Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 429.05 acres.
Is Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 107 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake has a maximum depth of 78 feet. The lake covers 429.05 acres.
What fish are in Mitchell Lake?
- Fish species found in Mitchell Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), burbot, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Mitchell Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mitchell Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 31, 2020 caught 27.73 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Mitchell Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mitchell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Mitchell Lake thaw?
- Mitchell Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Dec 12. The open water season is approximately 239 days.
Does Mitchell Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Mitchell Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (84,723 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mitchell Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Mitchell Lake?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Top lakes and where to stay in the Mille Lacs Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Mitchell Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Mitchell Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
183 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
MNPCA183 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 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