Swan Lake
Swan Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 13.5 ft
- Max depth
- 65 ft
- Area
- 2,456 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 26
Next lake in Itasca County
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. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 2 public boat landings. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Swan Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,456 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 17.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 21% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Highway 65 BridgePublic
- Ox Hide LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MMS | 289.88 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 41.32 | 0.13 lb |
| BKF | 14.38 | — |
| BCS | 9.38 | — |
| BUB | 8.68 | 2.65 lb |
| White Sucker | 7.95 | 1.97 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
BUB
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.05 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.36 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.34 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (6 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-08 (2021) | 2022-05-07 (2022) |
Most recent ice-out: 2023-05-06
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0067-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.22 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #17 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Swan Lake
What is the water quality grade for Swan Lake?
- Swan Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Swan Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
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 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Highway 65 Bridge, Ox Hide Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Swan Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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
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