Crow Wing

Crow Wing Lake is located in southern Hubbard County, 3 miles north of Nevis. Crow Wing has a surface area of 46.7 acres and a maximum depth of 17 feet. There is no public access for boats, but small craft can be carried across a recently acquired northern parcel of the Spider Lake Aquatic Management Area that covers the southeast point on the lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Crow Wing is in Lake Class 37. Class 37 lakes are generally small, shallow, regularly shaped shoreline, very high littoral area, soft and turbid water. Other class 37 lakes in the Park Rapids area include: Brush, Claussen's, Dead Horse, Giles, Goose, Hay, Nelson, Round, Shinker and Sweitzer. Crow Wing currently provides limited opportunities to the angler, with limited sizes and numbers of Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Golden Shiner and Pumpkinseeds. Due to the shallow depth, Crow Wing Lake is likely subject to periodic "winterkill" events. Winterkill happens when oxygen levels in the water drop to a level which is lethal to some fish species. Winterkill usually happens during winters with heavy snowfall which accumulates on the ice and blocks sunlight from penetrating to the water, which in turn limits oxygen production through photosynthesis. At the same time, decaying aquatic vegetation on the lake bottom uses oxygen, which causes oxygen levels in the lake to drop. Shallow, weedy lakes are more likely to winterkill than are deep water lakes. Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Walleye are more susceptible to low oxygen levels than bullheads. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Crow Wing. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Pumpkinseed and Bluegill in Crow Wing. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Crow Wing. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Crow Wing has a maximum depth of 17 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Crow Wing is from 2014. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Crow Wing in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.