Sibley Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota444 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sibley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Sibley Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 444.24 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2021 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Sibley Lake. DNR survey details →
Sibley Lake is a 444-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Sibley Lake ranks #76 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sibley Lake covers about 440 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Sibley Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Sibley Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Sibley Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 3.8% of 26 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Minnesota’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Sibley 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 Sibley Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sibley Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sibley Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sibley Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sibley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2021 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Sibley Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sibley Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 33.64 | 17–20 in 2021-08-05 | 1.99 lb |
| Bluegill | 26.34 | 3–7 in 2021-08-05 | 0.14 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.
White Sucker
Bluegill
From the 2021-08-05 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Sibley Lake was conducted on August 5, 2021, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sibley Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SibleyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SibleyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SibleyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
444 acres
Shoreline
9.1 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
54 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,214 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sibley 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 Sibley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sibley 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 Sibley Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Sibley Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sibley Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.87 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 9, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 6, 2019 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Mar 12
2024
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sibley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sibley Lake (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the MAYO CREEK - TR; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 41 ft long.
- Surface area
- 418 ac
- Normal storage
- 10,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,730 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 55 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Undetermined
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00045 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Sibley Lake
Where is Sibley Lake?
- Sibley 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 Sibley Lake?
- Sibley Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 444.24 acres.
Is Sibley Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Sibley Lake rarely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 3.8% of 26 samples across 8 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Sibley Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Minnesota's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sibley Lake?
- Sibley Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sibley Lake?
- Sibley Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 444.24 acres.
What fish are in Sibley Lake?
- Fish species found in Sibley Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sibley Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sibley Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2021 caught 0.44 walleye per trap net at Sibley Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sibley Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Sibley Lake thaw?
- Sibley Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Are there boat ramps on Sibley Lake?
- Sibley Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sibley Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sibley Lake?
- Sibley 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 Sibley Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
161 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA161 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 (3)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate