Wood Lake
Wood Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 14.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
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Wood Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2021. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Wood Lake ranks #38 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 14.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Wood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wood 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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DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wood Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — East Wood (1522)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | No |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Wood Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Wood Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.28 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #38 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Wood Lake
Where is Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Wood Lake?
- Wood Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L.
Is Wood Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Wood Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Wood Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Wood Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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Where this data comes from
51 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA51 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder