Upper Mission Lake
Upper Mission Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 881.57 acres.
- Clarity
- 11 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 36 ft
- Area
- 882 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 223 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Upper Mission Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Upper Mission Lake is a 882-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Upper Mission Lake ranks #26 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. 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 11 ft. Phosphorus level: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Upper Mission Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Mission Lake in Crow Wing 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.
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Water Temperature
Upper Mission Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°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.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 47 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Upper Mission Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Mission Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (11,912 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
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 | 36 ft |
| Surface Area | 882 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 29% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- MissionPublic
- Upper Mission LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Mission 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-27 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| JND | 41.26 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 34.43 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 30.23 | 0.15 lb |
| IOD | 26.49 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.45 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 18.50 | 0.96 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
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-07-27 survey
Upper Mission Lake is an 882 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 36', located just northeast of the town of Ossipee, MN. Upper Mission is in the Mississippi River-Brainerd Watershed. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Fourteen 100' long sampling stations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Mission Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper MissionFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Mission (0218)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Upper MissionFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Upper MissionPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.235 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.7 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.83 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (82 observations).
Estimated open water season: 223 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-24 (2012) | 2013-05-13 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 1995-11-13 (1995) | 2015-12-29 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2020-04-12
EPA Impairment Status
Upper Mission 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 MN18-0242-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #26 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Mission Lake
What is the water quality grade for Upper Mission Lake?
- Upper Mission Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 881.57 acres.
Is Upper Mission Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Upper Mission Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Upper Mission Lake?
- Upper Mission Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 47 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Upper Mission Lake?
- Upper Mission Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 881.57 acres.
What fish are in Upper Mission Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Mission Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Upper Mission Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Upper Mission Lake thaw?
- Upper Mission Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Does Upper Mission Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Mission Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (11,912 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 Mission Lake?
- Upper Mission Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mission, Upper Mission Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Upper Mission Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
93 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA93 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 (1)
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