Spider Lake
Spider Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 130.69 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 9 ft
- Area
- 131 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Chisago County
Spider Lake is a 131-acre mesotrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Spider Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Spider Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spider Lake in Chisago 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.
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Water Temperature
Spider Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 147 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spider Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 131 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 94% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spider LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spider Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-05-22 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Bullhead | 60.61 | 0.24 lb |
| Black Crappie | 28.28 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluegill | 24.20 | 0.06 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 16.15 | 0.09 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.33 | 3.24 lb |
| Walleye | 4.81 | 0.9 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2018-05-22 survey
Minnesota lakes have been assigned classifications based on their physical, chemical and biological similarities. Spider is assigned to lake class 42. In order to compare the present fish population to others in this lake class and evaluate the recreational fishery, Spider Lake was surveyed May 22, 2018. Both Black…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spider Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpiderFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spider (1935)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SpiderFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpiderPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.018 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.45 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.37 µg/L/yr | 6 |
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 30 lakes in Chisago County
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Spider Lake
What is the water quality grade for Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 130.69 acres.
Is Spider Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Spider Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 147 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 130.69 acres.
What fish are in Spider Lake?
- Fish species found in Spider Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed. Spider Lake is located in Chisago County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spider Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Spider Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
275 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA275 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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