Cook County · Minnesota

Crescent Lake

Soundings in feet · 756 acres · deepest 28 ft

Where it is

20 miles west of Grand Marais

Cook County, Minnesota · 47.8251° N, 90.7604° W

Directions to Crescent Lake Public Water Access Site Apple Maps

Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access site.

Today on the lake

Updated 19 Oct 2026, 5:56 pm EDT.

WEATHERThis Afternoon: sunny, 59°F, wind SE 5 mph. Tonight: mostly clear, 35°F, wind E 0 to 5 mph.

WARNINGSNo weather or fire warnings in effect.

FIRENo wildfires or prescribed burns reported within 25 miles.

BURNINGCampfires and debris burning: check today's fire danger and burning restrictions with Minnesota DNR.

ALGAECAUTION Satellite detected cyanobacteria across about 30% of the lake on 11 Oct 2026, the latest clear-sky image.

National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Minnesota DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).

Depth map

6 contours, 0 to 25 ft

-20510152025feet

Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.

Getting on the water

1 public access site on Crescent Lake.

Crescent Lake Public Water Access Site · U.S. Forest Service

trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 5 trailer spaces · restroom

Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.

Fish survey

Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Crescent Lake was in July 2024: 8 gill nets and 8 trap nets caught 7 species.

Fish per gill net, 8 sets. Line: Crescent Lake. Bracket: normal for similar lakes.

Walleye6.2normal

Yellow perch5.9above normal

Smallmouth bass0.5normal

Muskellunge0.2below normal

Fish per trap net, 8 sets. Line: Crescent Lake. Bracket: normal for similar lakes.

Walleye1.9normal

Smallmouth bass0.5normal

Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 1999 12 · 2002 12 · 2005 8.7 · 2014 6.2 · 2024 6.2

Walleye per trap net, standard surveys: 1999 1.8 · 2002 0.9 · 2005 1.0 · 2014 1.0 · 2024 1.9

Sizes in the nets

Walleye: 65 measured, 9 to 26 in, half 13 in or longer; average 0.98 lb, normal (normal 0.7–1.3 lb).

Muskellunge: 6 measured, 28 to 31 in, half 29 in or longer; average 6.4 lb, normal (normal 1–7.1 lb).

Smallmouth bass: 8 measured, 4 to 13 in, half 9 in or longer; average 0.81 lb, normal (normal 0.3–2.2 lb).

Yellow perch: 47 measured, 1 to 10 in, half 7 in or longer; average 0.17 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.3 lb).

Also caught: northern pike, tiger muskellunge, white sucker.

Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 8 Jul 2024, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure

Water quality

Measured water clarity averages about 7 ft: the Secchi depth across 6 readings, 1954–2024.

Clarity 7.4 ft of 28 ft

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby lakes with measured depth

Tait Lake15 ft deep · 3.1 mi · Cook County

Little Cascade Lake9 ft deep · 5.3 mi · Cook County

Cascade Lake17 ft deep · 6.4 mi · Cook County

Alton Lake72 ft deep · 7.5 mi · Cook County

Wonder Lake10 ft deep · 7.5 mi · Cook County

Caribou Lake30 ft deep · 8.6 mi · Cook County

Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.

Common questions

How deep is Crescent Lake?

Crescent Lake is 28 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 756 acres.

Is there a public boat launch on Crescent Lake?

Yes. 1 public access site is listed: Crescent Lake Public Water Access Site.

What fish are in Crescent Lake?

Minnesota DNR’s July 2024 standard survey caught 7 species, most often walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and muskellunge.

How much of Crescent Lake is deeper than 10 feet?

About 54% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.