Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Stewart Lake

A
Grade A — Excellent
Excellent · #8 of 35 lakes in the county · 10 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 238 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Stewart Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 237.72 acres.

Clarity
10 ft
Typical in August
70°F
Max depth
20 ft
Area
238 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Declining
Public access
Yes

Next lake in Lake County

CChristianson Lake2 ft clear · Lake CountyView →
Loading map…

Stewart Lake is a 238-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet (6-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Stewart Lake ranks #8 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-08. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Stewart Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Duluth

Get alerts for Stewart Lake

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 43.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)10 ftNot graded
Phosphorus12 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)43Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Stewart Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Stewart Lake in Lake 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 Stewart Lake

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 →

Water Temperature

Stewart Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
53°
Jun
63°
Jul
72°
Aug
70°
Sep
65°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (20192024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Stewart Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth20 ft
Average Depth6.4 ft
Surface Area238 acres
Shoreline Length4.9 mi
Littoral Zone100%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
Elevation
1,627 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Stewart LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Stewart Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-16 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Yellow Perch20.010.22 lb
Pumpkinseed15.860.18 lb
Bluegill7.640.23 lb
Hybrid Sunfish6.330.17 lb
Walleye5.471.98 lb
Northern Pike4.781.99 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

Yellow Perch

340 fish · 410 in · 2020-08-03
14070045678910

Pumpkinseed

302 fish · 38 in · 2014-07-28
119600345678

Bluegill

89 fish · 48 in · 2020-08-03
5729045678

Hybrid Sunfish

213 fish · 28 in · 2020-08-03
834202345678

From the 2022-06-16 survey

A night electrofishing survey was completed on Stewart Lake on June 16th 2022 to determine if Largemouth Bass are present. No Largemouth Bass were sampled despite targeting a time and location when we would expect to catch bass. Other fish sampled during the survey included a small number of Walleye ranging in length…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stewart Lake. 3 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.069 m/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #8 of 35 lakes in Lake County

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Stewart Lake

What is the water quality grade for Stewart Lake?

Stewart Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 237.72 acres.

Is Stewart Lake safe to swim in?

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Stewart Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Stewart Lake?

Stewart Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Stewart Lake?

Stewart Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet and an average depth of 6.4 feet. The lake covers 237.72 acres.

What fish are in Stewart Lake?

Fish species found in Stewart Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Stewart Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.

Are there boat ramps on Stewart Lake?

Stewart Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stewart Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Where this data comes from

76 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 WaterMNPCA76 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
  • 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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