Nisswa Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota219 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Nisswa Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Nisswa Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 218.77 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Nisswa Lake. DNR survey details →
Nisswa Lake is a 219-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake supports 17 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, Nisswa Lake ranks #51 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Nisswa Lake covers about 220 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Nisswa Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Nisswa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
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 Nisswa 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 Nisswa Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Nisswa 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 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.5 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.5µg/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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Nisswa Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Nisswa Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nisswa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 33.47 | 2–8 in 2025-06-09 | 0.15 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 10.81 | 0.18 lb | |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 9.55 | ||
| Pumpkinseed | 8.70 | 2–7 in 2025-06-09 | 0.25 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.47 | 10–34 in 2025-06-09 | 1.88 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
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2025-06-09 survey
Nisswa Lake is a 219-acre lake in the city of Nisswa in Crow Wing County. It is part of the Gull Lake Chain of Lakes, with a recently constructed access (2021) on the southeast shore. Northern Pike is a primary management species on Nisswa and a special regulation was implemented to achieve our management objective.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Nisswa Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NisswaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Nisswa (0195)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — NisswaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
219 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Nisswa 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 Nisswa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nisswa 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 Nisswa Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Nisswa 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.
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Nisswa Lake
Where is Nisswa Lake?
- Nisswa 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 Nisswa Lake?
- Nisswa Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 218.77 acres.
Is Nisswa Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Nisswa Lake?
- Nisswa Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 218.77 acres.
What fish are in Nisswa Lake?
- Fish species found in Nisswa Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Nisswa Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Nisswa Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Nisswa Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nisswa Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Nisswa Lake?
- Nisswa Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Nisswa Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Nisswa Lake?
- Nisswa 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 Nisswa 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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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
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 (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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory