Spectacle Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota246 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spectacle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
Spectacle Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51.5 ft. Surface area: 246.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2022 caught 7.44 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Spectacle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–15 inches. DNR survey details →
Spectacle Lake is a 246-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Isanti County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 16 other monitored lakes in Isanti County, Spectacle Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spectacle Lake covers about 250 acres in Isanti County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Spectacle Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Spectacle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.8 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water51.5 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 Spectacle 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 Spectacle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spectacle 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 13.8 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Spectacle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spectacle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spectacle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2022 caught 7.44 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Spectacle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–15 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spectacle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-25 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2022-08-25 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 38.37 | 3–8 in 2013-08-19 | 0.1 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.39 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 11.68 | 4–15 in 2013-08-19 | 0.99 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
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-08-25 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Spectacle Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff on 25 August 2022. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spectacle Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpectacleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spectacle (1840)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpectaclePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
51.5 ft
Average depth
8.6 ft
Surface area
246 acres
Shoreline
3.7 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
20 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
925 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spectacle 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 Spectacle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spectacle Lake in Isanti 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 Spectacle 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 Spectacle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spectacle 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.
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.55 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Isanti County
Frequently asked questions about Spectacle Lake
Where is Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake is a lake in Isanti County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51.5 ft. Surface area: 246.19 acres.
Is Spectacle 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 Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake has a maximum depth of 51.5 feet and an average depth of 8.6 feet. The lake covers 246.19 acres.
What fish are in Spectacle Lake?
- Fish species found in Spectacle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Spectacle Lake is located in Isanti County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spectacle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2022 caught 7.44 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Spectacle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–15 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spectacle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spectacle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spectacle Lake?
- Spectacle 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 Spectacle 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 Isanti County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Rum River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA50 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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