Skunk Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota218 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Skunk Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
Skunk Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 218.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 29, 2007 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Skunk Lake. DNR survey details →
Skunk Lake is a 218-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Skunk Lake ranks #24 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Skunk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Skunk 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 Skunk Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Skunk Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. Phosphorus 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.3 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Skunk Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Skunk Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°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 (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Skunk Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 29, 2007 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Skunk Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Skunk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-05-29 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2007-05-29 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 39.48 | 3–7 in 2007-05-29 | 0.1 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.22 | 9–33 in 2007-05-29 | 2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.07 | 4–11 in 2007-05-29 | 0.32 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.81 | 5–7 in 2007-05-29 | 0.11 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.29 | 3–9 in 2007-05-29 | 0.22 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.17 | 3–8 in 2007-05-29 | 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.
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2007-05-29 survey
Skunk Lake is located in central Hubbard County, thirteen miles north of Park Rapids. Skunk Lake has a surface area of 198 acres and a maximum depth of 55 feet. There is no developed public access located on Skunk Lake. The Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Skunk Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SkunkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
218 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Littoral zone
56%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,473 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Skunk Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Skunk Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Skunk Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.14 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.07 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 31, 2016 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 25, 2021 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2022
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Skunk Lake
Where is Skunk Lake?
- Skunk 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 Skunk Lake?
- Skunk Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 218.43 acres.
Is Skunk Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Skunk Lake?
- Skunk Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Skunk Lake?
- Skunk Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 218.43 acres.
What fish are in Skunk Lake?
- Fish species found in Skunk Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Skunk Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Skunk Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 29, 2007 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Skunk Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Skunk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Skunk Lake thaw?
- Skunk Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Can I fish at Skunk Lake?
- Public access to Skunk Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Skunk Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Hubbard County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
95 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA95 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate