Upper Gull Lake
Cass County, Minnesota422 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Upper Gull Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 54 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Upper Gull Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 421.83 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per gill net at Upper Gull Lake. DNR survey details →
Upper Gull Lake is a 422-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 54 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Upper Gull Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Upper Gull Lake covers about 420 acres in Cass County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 25, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Upper Gull Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Upper Gull Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water54 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Upper Gull Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Upper Gull Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Upper Gull Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 67 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Upper Gull Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Gull Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (92,045 cells/mL) on April 26, 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 June 23, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per gill net at Upper Gull Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Gull 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.26 | 2–9 in 2025-06-23 | 0.14 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 11.34 | 0.1 lb | |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.98 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 7.47 | 6–15 in 2025-06-23 | 1.06 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.16 | 5–7 in 2025-06-23 | 0.12 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
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-06-23 survey
Upper Gull Lake is a 422-acre lake and is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes near the city of Nisswa in Cass County. Upper Gull can be accessed via navigable channels from Gull, Margaret and Ray Lakes. Largemouth Bass are the primary management species. Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are secondary management…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Gull Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper GullFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Gull (1533)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
54 ft
Surface area
422 acres
Shoreline
8.6 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Gull NarrowsPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Upper Gull Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Gull 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
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Apr 11, 2015 · Latest May 11, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 14, 2014 · Latest Dec 12, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2025
12 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Gull Lake
Where is Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 421.83 acres.
Is Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in October, from 67 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull Lake has a maximum depth of 54 feet. The lake covers 421.83 acres.
What fish are in Upper Gull Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Gull Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, brown trout, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Upper Gull Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Upper Gull Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 0.56 walleye per gill net at Upper Gull Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake thaw?
- Upper Gull Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 214 days.
Does Upper Gull Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Gull Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (92,045 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gull Narrows. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Upper Gull Lake?
- Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
119 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 Water
MNPCA119 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate