Brainerd Lakes, 304 Lakes | Water Quality & Fishing

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated Aug 2, 2026

304

Lakes

235

With Fish Data

Lake	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
Rainy Lake	Cass	13.9 ft	29 ft	0
East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	16.4 ft	65 ft	15
Deep Portage Lake	Cass	15.4 ft	105 ft	9
Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	13 ft	54 ft	16
Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	18.5 ft	100 ft	21
North Long Lake	Crow Wing	15.1 ft	97 ft	18
Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	14.3 ft	104 ft	17
Birch Lake	Cass	14 ft	45 ft	14
Round Lake	Aitkin	14.5 ft	125 ft	18
Round Lake	Crow Wing	13.5 ft	51 ft	20
Ada Lake	Cass	14 ft	60 ft	16
Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	14.4 ft	138 ft	23
Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	14.4 ft	56 ft	11
Horseshoe Lake	Cass	8.9 ft	12 ft	0
Washburn Lake	Cass	14.1 ft	111 ft	21
Long Lake	Cass	21.5 ft	115 ft	14
Unnamed Lake	Crow Wing	6.6 ft	-	0
Maple Lake	Cass	13.3 ft	45 ft	0
West Twin Lake	Crow Wing	13.3 ft	42 ft	12
Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	20 ft	63 ft	18
Clear Lake	Crow Wing	18 ft	63 ft	15
Clear Lake	Aitkin	15 ft	24 ft	14
West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	15 ft	55 ft	15
Star Lake	Crow Wing	19 ft	83 ft	12
Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	10 ft	36 ft	18
Norway Lake	Cass	6.9 ft	12 ft	14
Woman Lake	Cass	15 ft	-	0
Girl Lake	Cass	17.6 ft	81 ft	18
Upper Gull Lake	Cass	9.5 ft	54 ft	20
Leech Lake	Cass	12.5 ft	-	0
Bass Lake	Crow Wing	13 ft	27 ft	14
Bass Lake	Crow Wing	16.1 ft	47 ft	14
Island Lake	Cass	15.5 ft	45 ft	12
Island Lake	Crow Wing	15.1 ft	76 ft	19
Island Lake	Cass	17.5 ft	40 ft	13
Island Lake	Cass	8.2 ft	-	0
Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	15 ft	54 ft	16
Crooked Lake	Cass	12 ft	74 ft	13
Portage Lake	Crow Wing	11.5 ft	37 ft	15
Portage Lake	Cass	7 ft	-	0
Cedar Lake	Aitkin	11.1 ft	105 ft	22
Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	17 ft	78 ft	15
Spider Lake	Cass	10.2 ft	17 ft	8
Gull Lake	Cass	15 ft	80 ft	22
Upper Trelipe Lake	Cass	14 ft	69 ft	15
Ray Lake	Cass	10.3 ft	27 ft	17
Lawrence Lake	Cass	9.8 ft	71 ft	16
Silver Lake	Cass	13 ft	20 ft	5
Child Lake	Cass	12.1 ft	29 ft	17
Roy Lake	Crow Wing	11.7 ft	26 ft	16
Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	18.4 ft	77 ft	16
Baby Lake	Cass	12.5 ft	69 ft	16
Inguadona Lake	Cass	12 ft	79 ft	20
Velvet Lake	Crow Wing	10.5 ft	29 ft	0
Crystal Lake	Cass	16 ft	40 ft	10
Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	25 ft	65 ft	17
Upper Mission Lake	Crow Wing	11 ft	36 ft	13
Pleasant Lake	Cass	15.5 ft	72 ft	15
Roosevelt Lake	Cass	11.1 ft	129 ft	18
Bay Lake	Crow Wing	18.5 ft	74 ft	13
Webb Lake	Cass	18 ft	84 ft	12
Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	12.1 ft	-	0
Little Hubert Lake	Crow Wing	18 ft	41 ft	0
Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	16.9 ft	128 ft	20
Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	14.4 ft	54 ft	22
East Twin Lake	Crow Wing	15 ft	45 ft	10
Blackwater Lake	Cass	14.1 ft	67 ft	16
Howard Lake	Cass	16 ft	60 ft	12
Red Sand Lake	Crow Wing	9 ft	23 ft	10
Rush Lake	Crow Wing	18 ft	105 ft	21
Man Lake	Cass	11 ft	93 ft	14
Little Boy Lake	Cass	11 ft	74 ft	18
Gilbert Lake	Crow Wing	14.6 ft	45 ft	9
Perch Lake	Crow Wing	5.9 ft	-	0
Thunder Lake	Cass	16.5 ft	95 ft	17
Placid Lake	Crow Wing	17 ft	39 ft	0
Middle Whipple Lake	Crow Wing	10 ft	28.7 ft	11
Wood Lake	Crow Wing	14.4 ft	-	0
Little Portage Lake	Cass	16.4 ft	-	0
Butterfield Lake	Crow Wing	12.9 ft	23 ft	0
Pine Lake	Crow Wing	10 ft	16.9 ft	14
Pine Lake	Cass	16 ft	25 ft	10
Duck Lake	Crow Wing	9 ft	-	0
Lougee Lake	Crow Wing	16.1 ft	53 ft	11
Cross Lake Reservoir	Crow Wing	16.5 ft	-	0
Three Island Lake	Cass	9 ft	13 ft	8
Pig Lake	Crow Wing	17.2 ft	56 ft	20
Ten Mile Lake	Cass	20.5 ft	208 ft	17
Ponto Lake	Cass	19 ft	60 ft	16
Gladstone Lake	Crow Wing	10.5 ft	36 ft	15
Little Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	17.2 ft	34 ft	12
Wabedo Lake	Cass	10.5 ft	95 ft	19
Upper Hay Lake	Crow Wing	10.9 ft	42 ft	13
O'Brien Lake	Crow Wing	18 ft	-	0
Little Sand Lake	Cass	7.5 ft	12 ft	10
Goodrich Lake	Crow Wing	13.7 ft	35 ft	15
Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	15.1 ft	44 ft	18
Loon Lake	Cass	12.1 ft	25 ft	12
Sylvan Lake	Cass	19.5 ft	-	0
Farm Island Lake	Aitkin	11.3 ft	56 ft	17

Showing 100 of 304 lakes.

Ways to pick a Brainerd Lakes lake

Cleanest water

Rainy Lake — 13.9 ft clarity
East Fox Lake — 16.4 ft clarity
Deep Portage Lake — 15.4 ft clarity
Clearwater Lake — 13 ft clarity

Deepest lakes

Sagamore Mine Lake — 210 ft
Ten Mile Lake — 208 ft
Steamboat Bay Lake — 150 ft
Kabekona Bay Lake — 150 ft

Documented game fish

East Fox Lake — 15 species
Deep Portage Lake — 9 species
Clearwater Lake — 16 species
Lower Hay Lake — 21 species

Cleanest Lakes in Brainerd Lakes

Rainy Lake

Cass County · 13.9 ft clarity

East Fox Lake

Crow Wing County · 16.4 ft clarity

Deep Portage Lake

Cass County · 15.4 ft clarity

Clearwater Lake

Crow Wing County · 13 ft clarity

Lower Hay Lake

Crow Wing County · 18.5 ft clarity

North Long Lake

Crow Wing County · 15.1 ft clarity

Plan a trip in Minnesota

The State of Minnesota's Lakes

Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements

Minnesota Fishing Guide

Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Minnesota Lake Trips

Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings

Lakes near Minneapolis

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of Minneapolis

Lakes near St. Paul

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of St. Paul

Lakes near Duluth

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of Duluth

Lakes near Rochester

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of Rochester

Lakes near Brainerd

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of Brainerd

Lakes near St. Cloud

Cleanest lakes within 50 miles of St. Cloud

Frequently Asked Questions

The Brainerd Lakes area has 304 lakes with water-quality records from state and federal monitoring. 302 of them have a clarity reading and 235 have documented fish species.

Cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Brainerd Lakes are on the map below with live availability. A lake with low nutrient and algae readings is the better swim and cabin pick when water quality is part of the trip.

The lakes with the lowest nutrient and algae readings lead the table above. Each lake page shows its own phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity readings beside the EPA condition class; none of it is a same-day swim clearance.

Where to stay near Brainerd Lakes

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brainerd Lakes — then explore the interactive map to find a place to stay close to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Brainerd Lakes

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 trip to Brainerd Lakes?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Brainerd Lakes — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.