Stark Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota217 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Stark Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 66 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Stark Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 217.29 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2016 caught 25.22 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Stark Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–13 inches. DNR survey details →
Stark Lake is a 217-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 66 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Stark Lake covers about 220 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 10, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Stark Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Stark Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 10
- Deep water66 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stark 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 Stark Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Stark Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Stark Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Stark Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 220 field readings (2010–2017) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stark Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2016 caught 25.22 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Stark Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–13 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stark 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
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-08-02 (Targeted Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2016-08-02 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 42.59 | 2–9 in 2016-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.36 | 4–9 in 2016-07-18 | 0.27 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.21 | 15–34 in 2016-07-18 | 2.19 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.30 | 10–14 in 2016-07-18 | 0.73 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.27 | 6–13 in 2016-07-18 | 0.42 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
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2016-08-02 survey
Stark Lake is a 217 acre lake located nine miles southeast of Emily in Crow Wing County. Stark is located in the Mississippi River-Brainerd watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 66'. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stark Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StarkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Stark (0227)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Stark (0396)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Stark (2039)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StarkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
66 ft
Surface area
217 acres
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Littoral zone
52%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,237 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Stark 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 Stark Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Stark Lake in Crow Wing 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 Stark 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 Stark Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Stark Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 10
Earliest Mar 14, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 14, 2002 · Latest Dec 5, 2009
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2025
29 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Stark Lake
Where is Stark Lake?
- Stark Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stark Lake?
- Stark Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 217.29 acres.
Is Stark 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 Stark Lake?
- Stark Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in September, from 220 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2017). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Stark Lake?
- Stark Lake has a maximum depth of 66 feet. The lake covers 217.29 acres.
What fish are in Stark Lake?
- Fish species found in Stark Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Stark Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Stark Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2016 caught 25.22 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Stark Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–13 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stark 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 Stark Lake thaw?
- Stark Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 10. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Are there boat ramps on Stark Lake?
- Stark Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stark Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Stark Lake?
- Stark 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 Stark 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 Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Brainerd Lakes area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Mille Lacs Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Stark Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
76 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA76 samples · 2020–2024
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