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LakeQuality

Newton Lake

NR
Not yet rated
5 ft clear · Eutrophic · 516 acres
Limited DataEutrophic

Newton Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 516.24 acres.

Clarity
5 ft
Max depth
47 ft
Area
516 acres
Trend
Improving
Public access
No

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Why Newton Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Newton Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Newton Lake is a 516-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 47 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, northern pike, and rock bass. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-06-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

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Water quality measurements for Newton Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Trophic State Index: 54.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)54Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Newton Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Newton Lake in Lake 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 Newton Lake

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 →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth47 ft
Surface Area516 acres
Shoreline Length12.1 mi
Littoral Zone69%
Public AccessNo

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Newton 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.

spiny waterflea

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-08 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Yellow Perch5.840.28 lb
Walleye3.490.54 lb
Rock Bass2.720.57 lb
White Sucker2.182.74 lb
Northern Pike1.821.85 lb
Tullibee (Cisco)1.530.28 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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

79 fish · 511 in · 2018-08-13
20100trophy 12567891011

Walleye

54 fish · 426 in · 2018-08-13
1160trophy 24468101214161820222426

Rock Bass

61 fish · 510 in · 2018-08-13
17905678910

White Sucker

27 fish · 821 in · 2018-08-13
95089101112131415161718192021

From the 2025-08-08 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Newton Lake on August 8th, 2025. This was done 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…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Newton Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.145 m/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Newton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0784-00 · Official waterbody report

Graded lakes near Newton Lake

Newton Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Newton Lake

What is the water quality grade for Newton Lake?

Newton Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 516.24 acres.

Is Newton Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Newton Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Newton Lake?

Newton Lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet. The lake covers 516.24 acres.

What fish are in Newton Lake?

Fish species found in Newton Lake include black crappie, northern pike, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Newton Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.

Where this data comes from

5 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA5 samples · 2021–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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