Schoolcraft Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota170 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Schoolcraft Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
Schoolcraft Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 170.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Schoolcraft Lake. DNR survey details →
Schoolcraft Lake is a 170-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Schoolcraft Lake ranks #67 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Schoolcraft Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Schoolcraft Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Schoolcraft 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 Schoolcraft Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Schoolcraft Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.6 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Schoolcraft Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Schoolcraft Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 66°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 95 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Schoolcraft Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Schoolcraft Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Schoolcraft Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-15 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2022-08-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 26.49 | 4–11 in 2022-08-15 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.92 | 5–11 in 2022-08-15 | 0.27 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.38 | 6–9 in 2015-08-17 | 0.56 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.51 | 13–29 in 2022-08-15 | 1.25 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.94 | 3–9 in 2022-08-15 | 0.42 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
Brown Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2022-08-15 survey
Schoolcraft Lake is located three miles southwest of Lake George in northern Hubbard County. Schoolcraft has a surface area of 170 acres and a maximum depth of 37 feet. A state-owned public access is located on the north shore of the lake next to the outlet culvert. The access is very shallow and narrow with a cattail…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Schoolcraft Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SchoolcraftFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Schoolcraft (1300)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SchoolcraftFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SchoolcraftPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
170 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,404 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Schoolcraft LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Schoolcraft Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Schoolcraft Lake in Hubbard 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 Schoolcraft Lake
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Follow Schoolcraft Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Schoolcraft Lake
- → Schoolcraft Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Schoolcraft Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Schoolcraft Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Schoolcraft Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.8 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Schoolcraft Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0215-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Schoolcraft Lake
Where is Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 170.43 acres.
Is Schoolcraft Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Schoolcraft Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 95 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 170.43 acres.
What fish are in Schoolcraft Lake?
- Fish species found in Schoolcraft Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Schoolcraft Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Schoolcraft Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Schoolcraft Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Schoolcraft Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Schoolcraft Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Schoolcraft Lake?
- Schoolcraft 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 Schoolcraft Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
115 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA115 samples · 2024–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory