Sorenson Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota92 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sorenson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
Sorenson Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 92.03 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 7, 1990 caught 15.00 northern pike per gill net at Sorenson Lake. DNR survey details →
Sorenson Lake is a 92-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 46 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Sorenson Lake ranks #65 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sorenson Lake covers about 92 acres in Crow Wing County. The median ice-out date is April 12, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Sorenson Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Sorenson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.1 ft of visibility
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 12
- Deep water46 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 Sorenson 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 Sorenson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sorenson 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 16.1 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Sorenson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sorenson Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sorenson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 7, 1990 caught 15.00 northern pike per gill net at Sorenson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sorenson 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-06-07 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1990-06-07 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bullhead | 38.00 | 0.18 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 15.00 | 1.98 lb | |
| Bluegill | 6.00 | 0.08 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 3.00 | 0.11 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.00 | 0.05 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 0.50 | 0.2 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 1990-06-07 survey
The fish population levels in numbers and average size of fish as determined from the range of median values for appropriate types of gear are indicated in the following table. High population levels are indicated by catch rates above the third quartile and low population levels by catch rates below the first…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sorenson Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SorensonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sorenson (0191)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
46 ft
Surface area
92 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sorenson Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sorenson 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 Sorenson Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Sorenson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.19 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 12
Earliest Mar 19, 2012 · Latest May 7, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 14, 2014 · Latest Dec 7, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 19
2019
34 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Sorenson Lake
Where is Sorenson Lake?
- Sorenson 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 Sorenson Lake?
- Sorenson Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 92.03 acres.
Is Sorenson 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 Sorenson Lake?
- Sorenson Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sorenson Lake?
- Sorenson Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet. The lake covers 92.03 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sorenson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 7, 1990 caught 15.00 northern pike per gill net at Sorenson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sorenson 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 Sorenson Lake thaw?
- Sorenson Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 12. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 227 days.
Can I fish at Sorenson Lake?
- Public access to Sorenson 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.
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Where this data comes from
59 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA59 samples · 2022–2025
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 (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