Smokey Hollow Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota125 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Smokey Hollow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
Smokey Hollow Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 125.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2017 caught 1.17 northern pike per gill net at Smokey Hollow Lake. DNR survey details →
Smokey Hollow Lake is a 125-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Smokey Hollow Lake ranks #81 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Smokey Hollow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Smokey Hollow 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 Smokey Hollow Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Smokey Hollow 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good 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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Smokey Hollow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Smokey Hollow Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Smokey Hollow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2017 caught 1.17 northern pike per gill net at Smokey Hollow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smokey Hollow 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-07-24 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2017-07-24 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 19.68 | 5–19 in 2017-07-24 | 1.08 lb |
| Bluegill | 17.23 | 3–8 in 2017-07-24 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.98 | 3–10 in 2017-07-24 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.41 | 7–13 in 2017-07-24 | 0.71 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.76 | 5 in 2017-07-24 | 0.09 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.63 | 5–8 in 2017-07-24 | 0.22 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2017-07-24 survey
Smokey Hollow is a quiet 114 acre lake located one mile south of Outing in Crow Wing County. Smokey Hollow reaches depths of 25', with 45% being 15' deep or less. A small public access is located on the east side of the lake. Water lilies are fairly common along the lakeshore. Protection of aquatic vegetation,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Smokey Hollow Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Smokey HollowFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Smokey Hollow (0433)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Smokey Hollow (1523)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Smokey HollowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
125 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
41%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,276 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Smokey Hollow 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 Smokey Hollow Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Smokey Hollow Lake
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Follow Smokey Hollow Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Smokey Hollow Lake
- → Smokey Hollow Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Smokey Hollow Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Smokey Hollow Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Smokey Hollow Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.65 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Smokey Hollow Lake
Where is Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow 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 Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 125.48 acres.
Is Smokey Hollow 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 Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 125.48 acres.
What fish are in Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Fish species found in Smokey Hollow Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Smokey Hollow Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2017 caught 1.17 northern pike per gill net at Smokey Hollow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Smokey Hollow 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.
Are there boat ramps on Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Smokey Hollow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Smokey Hollow Lake?
- Smokey Hollow 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.
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Where this data comes from
64 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
MNPCA64 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory