Round Lake
Round Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 1650.11 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 51 ft
- Area
- 1,650 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 21
- Open water
- 220 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Round Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Round Lake is a 1,650-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 51 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Round Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Round Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 17 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round 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 Round Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 72 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL) on June 27, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 51 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,650 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 38% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- North Long Lake (South)Public
- Gull Lake (East)Public
- Round LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
30 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-16 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MMS | 53.03 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.63 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 33.20 | — |
| Walleye | 23.15 | 1.52 lb |
| BKF | 18.88 | — |
| Bluegill | 17.78 | 0.14 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
From the 2025-09-16 survey
Walleye fry are stocked annually into Round Lake at the rate of 1,000 per littoral acre (627,000). Fingerling stocking is done on a contingency basis if fall electrofishing catch rates are below 15 young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleyes per hour for two consecutive years. Contingency stocking calls for one pound per…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoundFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.119 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.21 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.02 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (48 observations).
Estimated open water season: 220 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-03-31 (2000) | 2022-05-06 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2005-11-16 (2005) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-14
EPA Impairment Status
Round Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0373-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
What is the water quality grade for Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 1650.11 acres.
Is Round Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Round Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 72 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Round Lake?
- Round Lake has a maximum depth of 51 feet. The lake covers 1650.11 acres.
What fish are in Round Lake?
- Fish species found in Round Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Round Lake thaw?
- Round Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 220 days.
Does Round Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Round Lake?
- Round Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include North Long Lake (South), Gull Lake (East), Round Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Round Lake across LakeGrade
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Brainerd Lakes area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Mille Lacs Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Round Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Round Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
90 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
MNPCA90 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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