Net Lake
Pine County, Minnesota138 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Net Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Net Lake in Pine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 137.78 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 2.83 northern pike per gill net at Net Lake. DNR survey details →
Net Lake is a 138-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet (6-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Pine County, Net Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Net Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Net Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Net 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 Net Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Net Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 36.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.4 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 36.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.4µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Net Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 2.83 northern pike per gill net at Net Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Net Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2005-08-29 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2005-08-29 (Standard Survey)
21 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 21.00 | 10 in 2000-08-28 | 0.37 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.25 | 1–17 in 2005-08-29 | 1.94 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.63 | 1–9 in 2005-08-29 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.80 | 1–8 in 2005-08-29 | 0.12 lb |
| White Sucker | 5.18 | 6–16 in 2005-08-29 | 1.03 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 4.00 | 0.28 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 Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
Bluegill
From the 2005-08-29 survey
Net Lake is a 136-acre lake of moderate fertility. The lake is located east of the town of Nickerson on the boarder of Pine and Carlton Counties within the Nemadji State Forest Area. The immediate shoreline surrounding Net Lake is composed of lake homes and seasonal cabins along the west/northwest shore while…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Net Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NetFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Net (0312)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Average depth
6 ft
Surface area
138 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,135 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Net Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Net Lake in Pine 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 Net Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Net Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Apr 5, 2015 · Latest Apr 25, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 22
Earliest Nov 14, 2014 · Latest Nov 24, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2015
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Net Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN58-0038-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Pine County
Frequently asked questions about Net Lake
Where is Net Lake?
- Net Lake is a lake in Pine County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Net Lake?
- Net Lake in Pine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 137.78 acres.
Is Net Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Net Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Net Lake?
- Net Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 137.78 acres.
What fish are in Net Lake?
- Fish species found in Net Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch. Net Lake is located in Pine County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Net Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 2.83 northern pike per gill net at Net Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Net Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Net Lake thaw?
- Net Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 22. The open water season is approximately 218 days.
Can I fish at Net Lake?
- Public access to Net Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Net Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
41 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
MNPCA41 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate