Spider Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota1,392 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spider Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- flowering rush
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spider Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 1392.46 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.55 northern pike per trap net at Spider Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Spider Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Spider Lake is a 1,392-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Spider Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,392 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
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.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spider Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Spider Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (183,654 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.55 northern pike per trap net at Spider Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 20.11 | 3–7 in 2024-07-01 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 18.50 | 6–8 in 2024-07-01 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.17 | 11–18 in 2024-07-01 | 0.71 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.01 | 3–7 in 2024-07-01 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 4.64 |
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
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
From the 2024-07-01 survey
Spider Lake is in ecological lake class 25 and is located 8 miles southeast of Marcell, MN, in the Mississippi River Watershed. The lake is 1,349 acres and has a maximum depth of 36 feet. A survey targeting nearshore fish species was conducted by Area fisheries staff beginning on 1 July, 2024. Eighteen sampling sites…
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 (0799)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
36 ft
Surface area
1,392 acres
Shoreline
20.6 mi
Littoral zone
53%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
20 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,362 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 Itasca 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
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spider 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.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 12, 1998 · Latest May 9, 1996
Typical ice-in
Nov 22
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Nov 25, 2004
Most recent ice-out
May 2
2008
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Spider Lake
Where is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 1392.46 acres.
Is Spider Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 1392.46 acres.
What fish are in Spider Lake?
- Fish species found in Spider Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tiger muskellunge, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Spider Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spider Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.55 northern pike per trap net at Spider Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spider Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Spider Lake thaw?
- Spider Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 22. The open water season is approximately 215 days.
Does Spider Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Spider Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (183,654 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
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
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Spider Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
140 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
MNPCA140 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate