Young Lake
Young Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 66.93 acres.
- Clarity
- 10.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 21 ft
- Area
- 67 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Young Lake is a 67-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving 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, Young Lake ranks #64 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. 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 10.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Young Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Young 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
Young Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 23 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Young Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 21 ft |
| Surface Area | 67 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 90% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fishing Young Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1992-06-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.50 | 0.08 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.88 | 0.23 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.13 | 2.54 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.00 | 0.08 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.75 | 0.13 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.50 | 0.11 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
From the 1992-06-15 survey
NOP AND BLG WERE ABUNDANT, GOS AND YEP WERE PRESENT IN LOW NUMBERS. ALL OTHER SPECIES WERE CAPTURED IN AVERAGE NUMBERS FOR THE LAKE CLASS. NOP (12.0/GILLNET) CATCH WAS HIGH. AGES YY-IV AND VI-VII WERE PRESENT. THE 1988 AND 1989 YEAR CLASSES CONTRIBUTED 42 AND 33% TO THE CATCH, RESPECTIVELY. GROWTH WAS GOOD FOR ALL AGE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Young Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — YoungFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Young (0220)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.24 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.63 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.11 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Young 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 MN18-0251-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.45 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #64 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Young Lake
What is the water quality grade for Young Lake?
- Young Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 66.93 acres.
Is Young Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Young Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Young Lake?
- Young Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 23 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Young Lake?
- Young Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 66.93 acres.
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Where this data comes from
53 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA53 samples · 2021–2025
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