Smith Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota491 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Smith Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 54 ft max depth
- Limited data
Smith Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 490.77 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2022 caught 32.40 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Smith Lake. DNR survey details →
Smith Lake is a 491-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 54 feet. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Smith Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water54 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 Smith 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 Smith Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Smith 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 12.1 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Smith Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2022 caught 32.40 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Smith Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2025-06-02 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-02 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 62.78 | ||
| Golden Shiner | 33.21 | 4–5 in 1997-08-11 | 0.08 lb |
| Bluegill | 21.71 | 2–8 in 2022-08-01 | 0.16 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.
Golden Shiner
Bluegill
From the 2025-06-02 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Smith Lake on September 3rd 2025, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 55 survey sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Smith Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SmithFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Smith (0133)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
54 ft
Surface area
491 acres
Shoreline
6.8 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,247 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Smith Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Smith 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 Smith 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 Smith Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Smith 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.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Apr 8, 2015 · Latest May 11, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 8
2015
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Smith Lake
Where is Smith Lake?
- Smith 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 Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 490.77 acres.
Is Smith Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Smith Lake?
- Smith Lake has a maximum depth of 54 feet. The lake covers 490.77 acres.
What fish are in Smith Lake?
- Fish species found in Smith Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Smith Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Smith Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2022 caught 32.40 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Smith Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Smith Lake thaw?
- Smith Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15.
Can I fish at Smith Lake?
- Public access to Smith 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.
Explore Smith Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest 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 readings
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Smith Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2024
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate