Pine Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota324 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16.9 ft. Surface area: 323.58 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 5.67 northern pike per gill net at Pine Lake. DNR survey details →
Pine Lake is a 324-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Pine Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
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 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 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.6µg/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 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 31 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 5.67 northern pike 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-08-19 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2019-08-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Shiner | 14.24 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 12.35 | 5–8 in 2019-08-19 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.77 | 3–8 in 2019-08-19 | 0.19 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2019-08-19 survey
Big Pine Lake is a reservoir of the Pine River just south of Crosslake, MN. The rock dam that created Big Pine Lake built in 1970 that has required frequent costly repairs was replaced in the winter of 2020 with an arched-rock-rapids-style dam that allows for fish passage. This was made possible by a $1.2 million…
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 (0231)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16.9 ft
Surface area
324 acres
Shoreline
3.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
589 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,191 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pine 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 Pine Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pine 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
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.32 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pine Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Big Pine Lake (completed 1970), built primarily for recreation on the Pine River; rockfill-type dam, 9 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 400 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 576 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Crow Wing and Trail and Lake
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01591 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake
Where is Pine Lake?
- Pine 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 Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16.9 ft. Surface area: 323.58 acres.
Is Pine 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 Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 31 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 16.9 feet. The lake covers 323.58 acres.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Pine Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pine Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 5.67 northern pike 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.
Can I fish at Pine Lake?
- Public access to Pine Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
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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Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
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Where this data comes from
86 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
MNPCA86 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 (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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder