Pine Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota1,236 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Pine Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 1236.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pine Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Pine Lake is a 1,236-acre mesotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Pine Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Big water1,236 acres
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. Pine Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pine 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 Pine Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pine 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 10.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pine Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Sep (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2018–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pine 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-26 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2023-06-26 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 27.95 | 7 in 2023-06-26 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.47 | 4–10 in 2023-06-26 | 0.25 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.27 | 8–35 in 2023-06-26 | 1.28 lb |
| Bluegill | 6.08 | 5–10 in 2023-06-26 | 0.38 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 4.28 | 5–15 in 2023-06-26 | 0.52 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Bluegill
From the 2023-06-26 survey
Pine Lake is a 1,236 acre lake located three miles south of the town of Gonvick in Clearwater County. Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and is managed as a periodic winterkill Lake. Since 1994, the operation of an aeration system has reduced the frequency and extent of winterkill events, although partial kills…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pine Lake. 4 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 (1715)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Average depth
9 ft
Surface area
1,236 acres
Shoreline
11.1 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,270 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pine Lake (North)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pine Lake in Clearwater 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 Pine Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pine Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.91 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.26 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 4, 2017 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Apr 27
2020
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pine Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN15-0149-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Pine Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Gonvick WwtpGonvick · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MN0020541
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake
Where is Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 1236.17 acres.
Is Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pine Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 1236.17 acres.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Pine Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pine Lake is located in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pine 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 Pine Lake thaw?
- Pine Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Are there boat ramps on Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Lake (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pine Lake?
- Pine 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 Pine Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
88 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA88 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate