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C

Nokay Lake

Crow Wing County, MinnesotaLimited DataMesotrophic

Nokay Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade.

A TSI near 47 places Nokay Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Nokay Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 704 acres and 6.3 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within the 120 graded lakes of Crow Wing County, Nokay Lake sits at rank 108, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Nokay Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Nokay Lake, one of 15 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Nokay Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 12 times at Nokay Lake, with a median around Apr 16. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft. Trophic State Index: 47.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)8.2 ftC
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)47Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth42 ft
Surface Area703.56 acres
Shoreline Length6.3 mi
Littoral Zone31%
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

black bullhead,black crappie,bluegill,bowfin (dogfish),brown bullhead,hybrid sunfish,largemouth bass,northern pike,pumpkinseed,rock bass,tullibee (cisco),walleye,white sucker,yellow bullhead,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Nokay Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Nokay Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Nokay Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.358 m/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (20 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 16
Typical Ice-In
Nov 24

Estimated open water season: 222 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2024-03-14 (2024)2008-04-30 (2008)
Ice-In2017-11-19 (2017)2015-12-18 (2015)

Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-13

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #108 of 120 lakes in Crow Wing County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Nokay Lake holds Grade C. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-06-29 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Bluntnose Minnow50.86
IOD24.13
JND22.12
Bluegill20.410.15 lb
BKF19.46
Largemouth Bass17.950.96 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.

Bluegill

71 fish · 39 in · 2020-06-29
21110trophy 103456789

Largemouth Bass

35 fish · 716 in · 2020-06-29
84078910111213141516

From the 2020-06-29 survey

Nokay Lake is a 660 acre lake located 10 miles east of Brainerd in Crow Wing County. A small public access is located on the west side of the lake. Nokay reaches depths of 42 feet, with 33% of the lake 15' deep or less. The shoreline is moderately developed with one resort present. Extensive bulrush beds are located…

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 Nokay Lake. 4 reports on file.

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Nokay Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nokay Lake (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the Nokasippi River; earth-type dam, 8 ft tall and 32 ft long.

Surface area
697 ac
Normal storage
30 ac-ft
Max storage
120 ac-ft
Drainage area
24.7 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
MNDNR

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00735 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Nokay 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 MN18-0104-00 · Official waterbody report

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2024-09-28

Monitoring stations: 1