Pine Lake
Pine Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 260.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 16 ft
- Typical in August
- 70°F
- Max depth
- 25 ft
- Area
- 261 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Cass County
Pine Lake is a 261-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet (12-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 3 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Pine Lake ranks #39 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-08. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pine Lake in Cass 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.
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Water Temperature
Pine Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 151 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft |
| Average Depth | 12 ft |
| Surface Area | 261 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 43% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pine LakePublic
- Hovde LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pine Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-06 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.06 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 11.18 | 0.9 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.72 | 1.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 8.21 | 1.75 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.00 | 2.55 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.94 | 0.15 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
Yellow Bass
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2022-06-06 survey
Pine Lake is a 260-acre lake with 3.8 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 25 feet located south of Whipholt, MN. A US Forest Service owned public access is located on the southeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pine Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pine (1499)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.46 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #39 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 260.5 acres.
Is Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Pine Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 151 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 260.5 acres.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Pine Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead. Pine Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Lake, Hovde Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Pine Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
62 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX47 samples · 2023–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory