Pig Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota196 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pig Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 56 ft max depth
Pig Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 195.78 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pig Lake. DNR survey details →
Pig Lake is a 196-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 56 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Pig Lake ranks #44 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pig Lake covers about 200 acres in Crow Wing County. The median ice-out date is April 21, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Pig Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Pig Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.2 ft of visibility
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water56 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Pig 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 Pig Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pig Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17.2 ft down. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pig Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pig Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 66°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 169 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pig Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pig Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pig 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-17 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.18 | 3–7 in 2024-06-17 | 0.1 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.99 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 8.02 | 4–11 in 2024-06-17 | 0.14 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
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-06-17 survey
Pig Lake is accessed through Whitefish Lake and seems more like a large bay than a separate lake. An old township road access on the south shore is now used by the Ideal Fire Department and is gated off; the gate is opened for winter access. Northern Pike were caught in moderate numbers (8.0/net) with an average…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pig Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PigFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
56 ft
Surface area
196 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pig Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pig 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 Pig 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pig 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.3 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 4, 2000 · Latest May 7, 2008
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 22, 2017 · Latest Dec 13, 2004
Most recent ice-out
May 7
2008
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Pig Lake
Where is Pig Lake?
- Pig 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 Pig Lake?
- Pig Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 195.78 acres.
Is Pig 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 Pig Lake?
- Pig Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 169 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pig Lake?
- Pig Lake has a maximum depth of 56 feet. The lake covers 195.78 acres.
What fish are in Pig Lake?
- Fish species found in Pig Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pig Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pig Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pig Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pig 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 Pig Lake thaw?
- Pig Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Can I fish at Pig Lake?
- Public access to Pig Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Pig Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
102 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
MNPCA102 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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate