Stevens Lake
Cass County, Minnesota100 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Stevens Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Stevens Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 100.1 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2004 caught 5.17 northern pike per gill net at Stevens Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–33 inches. DNR survey details →
Stevens Lake is a 100-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Stevens Lake ranks #97 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Stevens Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water63 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Stevens Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stevens 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 Stevens Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Stevens 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 10.2 ft. Phosphorus 28.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Stevens Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Stevens Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 53°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 53°F) and coldest in May (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (53°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 85 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stevens Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2004 caught 5.17 northern pike per gill net at Stevens Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–33 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stevens Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2004-06-21 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2004-06-21 (Standard Survey)
22 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 14.35 | 2–8 in 2004-06-21 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.50 | 6–13 in 2004-06-21 | 0.48 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 4.21 | 12–13 in 2004-06-21 | 0.71 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.02 | 4–11 in 2004-06-21 | 0.34 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.89 | 9–33 in 2004-06-21 | 2.04 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.46 | 7–20 in 2004-06-21 | 0.65 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
Yellow Bullhead
Brown Bullhead
Black Crappie
From the 2004-06-21 survey
Stevens Lake is an 105-acre lake located east of Longville, MN that has 2.8 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 63 feet. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) public access on the southeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stevens Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StevensFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Stevens (1146)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StevensPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
63 ft
Surface area
100 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Stevens LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Stevens Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Stevens Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Stevens Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Stevens Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0116-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Stevens Lake
Where is Stevens Lake?
- Stevens Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stevens Lake?
- Stevens Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 100.1 acres.
Is Stevens Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Stevens Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Stevens Lake?
- Stevens Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in September, from 85 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Stevens Lake?
- Stevens Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake covers 100.1 acres.
What fish are in Stevens Lake?
- Fish species found in Stevens Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Stevens Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Stevens Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2004 caught 5.17 northern pike per gill net at Stevens Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–33 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stevens Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Stevens Lake?
- Stevens Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stevens Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Stevens Lake?
- Stevens 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.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory