Wind Lake
Lake County, Minnesota926 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wind Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 32 ft max depth
- Limited data
Wind Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 926.08 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2011 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Wind Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Wind Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Wind Lake is a 926-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bluegill, hybrid sunfish, and largemouth bass. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wind Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wind Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wind 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 Wind Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wind 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 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wind Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2011 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Wind Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wind Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-09-06 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2011-09-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 7.20 | 16–33 in 2011-09-06 | 2.71 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.39 | 7–21 in 2011-09-06 | 1.28 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.05 | 3–8 in 2011-09-06 | 0.14 lb |
| Walleye | 2.69 | 12–28 in 2011-09-06 | 2.59 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.53 | 3–8 in 2011-09-06 | 0.13 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.22 | 7–19 in 2011-09-06 | 1.52 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.
Northern Pike
White Sucker
Rock Bass
Walleye
From the 2011-09-06 survey
Status of the Fishery Wind Lake is located approximately 14 miles NE of Ely, MN and is entirely within the BWCAW. It has a surface area of 1,009 acres and a maximum depth of 32 ft. Wind was thermally stratified on 09/06/2011, the first day of sampling, with a surface temperature of 67.6*F and a bottom temperature of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wind Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WindFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Surface area
926 acres
Shoreline
17.4 mi
Littoral zone
74%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,335 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wind Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wind Lake in Lake 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 Wind Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wind Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wind Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wind Lake (completed 1900), built primarily for other on the Basswood River-TR; other-type dam, 8 ft tall and 107 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,009 ac
- Normal storage
- 15,232 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 15,232 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USDA FS
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00086 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Wind 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 MN38-0642-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Wind Lake
Where is Wind Lake?
- Wind Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wind Lake?
- Wind Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 926.08 acres.
Is Wind Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wind Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wind Lake?
- Wind Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake covers 926.08 acres.
What fish are in Wind Lake?
- Fish species found in Wind Lake include bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Wind Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wind Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2011 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Wind Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–28 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wind Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Wind Lake?
- Public access to Wind Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Wind Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
34 measurements from 11 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
MNPCA34 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (11)
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