Spider Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota131 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spider Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
Spider Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2018 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Spider Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–33 inches. DNR survey details →
Spider Lake is a 131-acre mesotrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spider Lake covers about 130 acres in Chisago County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Spider Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Spider Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
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 Spider 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 Spider Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spider 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 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spider Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spider Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (78°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2018 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Spider Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–33 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-05-22 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2018-05-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Bullhead | 60.61 | 0.24 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 28.28 | 4–11 in 2018-05-22 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluegill | 24.20 | 3–7 in 2018-05-22 | 0.06 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 16.15 | 5–13 in 2018-05-22 | 0.09 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.33 | 14–33 in 2018-05-22 | 3.24 lb |
| Walleye | 4.81 | 9–19 in 2007-06-18 | 0.9 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
131 acres
Shoreline
6.1 mi
Littoral zone
94%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
902 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spider 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 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Spider 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 Spider Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spider Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.45 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.37 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Spider Lake
Where is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake is a lake in Chisago County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spider Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 22, 2018 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Spider Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–33 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider 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.
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.
Can I fish at Spider Lake?
- Spider 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 Spider Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Chisago County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
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)
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