Spirit Lake
Wadena County, Minnesota114 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spirit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
Spirit Lake in Wadena County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 113.9 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 21.17 northern pike per gill net at Spirit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches. DNR survey details →
Spirit Lake is a 114-acre mesotrophic lake in Wadena County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Wadena County, Spirit Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Spirit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water45 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 Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spirit 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 15.4 ft down. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spirit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spirit Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 63°F) and coldest in Apr (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 622 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spirit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 21.17 northern pike per gill net at Spirit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-21 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 30.09 | 4–17 in 2022-06-21 | 0.72 lb |
| Bluegill | 17.52 | 2–9 in 2022-06-21 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.35 | 11–31 in 2022-06-21 | 1.52 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.23 | 7–12 in 2022-06-21 | 0.49 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.20 | 4–10 in 2022-06-21 | 0.26 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.61 | 3–7 in 2022-06-21 | 0.13 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2022-06-21 survey
Spirit Lake is located in Menahga in northern Wadena County. Spirit has a surface area of 114 acres and a maximum depth of 45 feet. A city owned public access is located on the northeast shore of the lake off 1st Street. Spirit provides angling opportunities for Largemouth Bass, panfish and Northern Pike. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spirit Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpiritFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spirit (1326)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpiritPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Surface area
114 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,378 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spirit 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 Spirit Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spirit Lake in Wadena 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 Spirit Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Spirit Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spirit Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.44 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 9, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 4, 1991 · Latest Dec 8, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
53 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Spirit Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- MenahgaMenahga · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MN0056880
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Wadena County
Frequently asked questions about Spirit Lake
Where is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake is a lake in Wadena County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake in Wadena County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 113.9 acres.
Is Spirit 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 Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 622 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 113.9 acres.
What fish are in Spirit Lake?
- Fish species found in Spirit Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Spirit Lake is located in Wadena County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spirit Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 21.17 northern pike per gill net at Spirit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spirit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Spirit Lake thaw?
- Spirit Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Are there boat ramps on Spirit Lake?
- Spirit Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spirit Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spirit Lake?
- Spirit 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 Spirit Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
87 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
MNPCA87 samples · 2020–2025
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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