Scott Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota157 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Scott Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 49 ft max depth
- Limited data
Scott Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 157.22 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 1989 caught 18.67 northern pike per gill net at Scott Lake. DNR survey details →
Scott Lake is a 157-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 49 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Scott Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.1 ft of visibility
- Deep water49 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Scott 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 Scott Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Scott 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 11.1 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Scott Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 1989 caught 18.67 northern pike per gill net at Scott Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Scott Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1989-07-05 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1989-07-05 (Standard Survey)
37 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 28.54 | 0.15 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 20.71 | 0.2 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 9.59 | 1.12 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.25 | 0.11 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 1.04 | 0.21 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 0.75 | 0.27 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.
From the 1989-07-05 survey
Northern pike and yellow bullhead area present in very high numbers though they are small in size. Pumpkinseed and bluegill are present in high numbers and are average in size. Largemouth bass and black crappie appear in average size and numbers. Black bullhead are low in number and small in size. Bowfin are low in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Scott Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ScottFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Scott (0388)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
49 ft
Surface area
157 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
78%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,260 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Scott Lake
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Fishing Scott Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Scott Lake
Where is Scott Lake?
- Scott 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 Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 157.22 acres.
Is Scott Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Scott Lake?
- Scott Lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet. The lake covers 157.22 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Scott Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 1989 caught 18.67 northern pike per gill net at Scott Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Scott Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Scott Lake?
- Public access to Scott Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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.
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA17 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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