Swan Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota2,456 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Swan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
Swan Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 2455.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Swan Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Swan Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 65 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Swan Lake is a 2,456-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Swan Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swan Lake covers about 2,500 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 26, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Swan Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Swan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 26
- Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,456 acres
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. Swan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Swan 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 Swan Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Swan 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 13.5 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.2µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Swan 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 Swan Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (14,454 cells/mL) on November 29, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Swan Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Swan 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
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 41.32 | 4–9 in 2025-08-18 | 0.13 lb |
| White Sucker | 7.95 | 8–23 in 2025-08-18 | 1.97 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.
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
From the 2025-08-18 survey
Swan Lake is a 2,472-acre lake located on the south side of Pengilly, MN. There is one public access and the shoreline is highly developed with almost 500 homes/cabins. The lake management plan lists Walleye and Northern Pike as the primary species of management. In 2005, a 17-to 26-inch protected slot length limit…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Swan Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SwanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Swan (0565)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SwanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SwanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
2,456 acres
Shoreline
17.5 mi
Littoral zone
21%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
102 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,325 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Highway 65 BridgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Swan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swan 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 Swan 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Swan Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Swan 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.34 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 26
Earliest Apr 8, 2021 · Latest May 7, 2022
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2023
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Swan Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Charter (completed 1967), built primarily for other on the Swan River; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 170 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 250 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 750 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 113 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Hanna Mining Company Age
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00658 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Swan Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0067-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Swan Lake
Where is Swan Lake?
- Swan 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 Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 2455.53 acres.
Is Swan Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Swan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 2455.53 acres.
What fish are in Swan Lake?
- Fish species found in Swan Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Swan Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Swan Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Swan Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Swan 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 Swan Lake thaw?
- Swan Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26.
Does Swan Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Swan Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (14,454 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Highway 65 Bridge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Swan Lake?
- Swan 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 Swan Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
379 measurements from 6 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
MNPCA379 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 (6)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate