Roy Lake
Roy Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 319.67 acres.
- Clarity
- 11.7 ft
- Typical in August
- 77°F
- Max depth
- 26 ft
- Area
- 320 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 10
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Roy Lake is a 320-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Roy Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-19. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Roy Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 11.7 ft. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Roy Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Roy 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 Roy 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
Roy Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Roy Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Roy Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (89,536 cells/mL) on May 9, 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 | 26 ft |
| Surface Area | 320 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 40% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Roy 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.16 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.63 | — |
| Northern Pike | 7.20 | 2.71 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 6.80 | 0.15 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.85 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 5.39 | 0.72 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
Northern Pike
Green Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-06-09 survey
Roy is a small 320 acre lake that is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes and can be accessed through channels from Nisswa Lake and Spider Lake. Roy receives plenty of recreational traffic as boats navigate between Gull and Nisswa Lakes. A special regulation enacted in 2024 requires the immediate release of all Northern…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Roy Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.143 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-14 (2024) | 2022-05-04 (2022) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-10
County Ranking
Ranked #21 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Roy Lake
What is the water quality grade for Roy Lake?
- Roy Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 319.67 acres.
Is Roy Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Roy Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Roy Lake?
- Roy Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in August, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Roy Lake?
- Roy Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 319.67 acres.
What fish are in Roy Lake?
- Fish species found in Roy Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Roy Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Roy Lake thaw?
- Roy Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 10.
Does Roy Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Roy Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (89,536 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Roy 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
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Roy Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
63 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
MNPCA63 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate