Town Line Lake
Cass County, Minnesota698 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Town Line Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 11 ft max depth
- Public access
Town Line Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 697.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2023 caught 18.33 northern pike per gill net at Town Line Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches. DNR survey details →
Town Line Lake is a 698-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Town Line Lake ranks #95 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Town Line Lake covers about 700 acres in Cass County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Town Line Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Town Line Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Town Line 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 Town Line Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Town Line Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Town Line Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Town Line Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 52 field readings (2023–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Town Line Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2023 caught 18.33 northern pike per gill net at Town Line Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Town Line Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-12 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2023-06-12 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15.59 | 3 in 2023-06-12 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.67 | 4–9 in 2023-06-12 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 9.88 | 11–31 in 2023-06-12 | 2.08 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.18 | 2–5 in 2018-06-18 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.12 | 5–11 in 2023-06-12 | 0.37 lb |
| Walleye | 1.67 | 19 in 2001-06-18 | 2.89 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 Perch
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
From the 2023-06-12 survey
Town Line (Townline) Lake (DOW# 11-0190, Lake Class 39) is a 698-acre lake with 698 littoral acres, 8.29 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 11 feet located north of Longville, MN. Town Line Lake is within the Chippawa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation (LLIR) and is co-managed by MN DNR and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Town Line Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Town LineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Town Line (1568)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Town LineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Town LinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Surface area
698 acres
Shoreline
8.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,325 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Town Line 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 Town Line Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Town Line Lake in Cass 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 Town Line 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 Town Line Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Town Line 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+2 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Town Line Lake
Where is Town Line Lake?
- Town Line 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 Town Line Lake?
- Town Line Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 697.67 acres.
Is Town Line 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 Town Line Lake?
- Town Line Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 52 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Town Line Lake?
- Town Line Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 697.67 acres.
What fish are in Town Line Lake?
- Fish species found in Town Line Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow perch. Town Line Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Town Line Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2023 caught 18.33 northern pike per gill net at Town Line Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–31 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Town Line Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Town Line Lake?
- Town Line Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Town Line Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Town Line Lake?
- Town Line 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 Town Line 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 Cass County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
57 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX42 samples · 2023–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
- 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