Fish Lake Park & Beach
Harris, Minnesota · on Fish Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $3 per vehicle
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Fish Lake Park & Beach
Fish Lake Park & Beach is a roughly 129-152 acre Chisago County park in Harris, Minnesota, built around the 319-acre Fish Lake. The county describes it as its most popular swimming beach, making this swimming hole one of the busiest places to swim in the county. In 2026 it earned official regional park designation from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission after a multi-year planning effort.
The park sits on the east shore of Fish Lake amid a mix of forest and wetland habitat in Chisago County, about 1.5 miles west of the Harris exit off I-35. The 130+ acre property is bisected by Elmcrest Avenue, a public road that runs through the parkland.
Swimming at Fish Lake Park & Beach
The designated swimming beach on Fish Lake is called out by the county as its most popular county-park beach, drawing crowds on hot summer weekends; local news describes the park as a favorite specifically for its beach and water quality. It is a natural lake swim area (not a pool), suited to families and casual lake swimming rather than distance swimming or diving.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 43308 Elmcrest Avenue, Harris, MN 55032, about 1.5 miles west of the Harris exit (I-35 exit 152).
Parking: On-site vehicle parking lot; a permit/fee system applies Fridays-Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (walk-ins and cyclists enter free). When staff aren't present, an honor-box system is used.
The hike in
The park's official Summer Trails map shows a separate 1.8-mile hiking loop located entirely east of Elmcrest Avenue/Hwy 45, in wooded/upland terrain away from the shoreline. The beach, boat access, and parking are clustered together right on the lake shore on the west side of the road, so no hike is needed to reach the swimming area, it's a short walk (well under 5 minutes) from the adjacent parking lot.
The 1.8-mile trail is a recreational loop for hikers/walkers, not a path to the swim spot; swimmers can drive straight to beachside parking.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official pages call it Chisago County's most popular swimming beach and it sits inside a family-oriented park (playground, picnic shelters), but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, water depth/drop-off at the beach, or a roped-off shallow area, so treat it as a supervise-your-kids lake beach rather than a lifeguarded, shallow-entry site.
Parking
Paid, $3/vehicle daily permit, $20 seasonal vehicle permit, $15 bus permit
On-site lots directly adjacent to the beach and to the picnic-shelter area (see park trail map). Permit fee applies only Fridays-Sundays and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend; free Monday-Thursday and outside that season, with an honor-box system when no staff are present.
Restrooms
Yes
Modern restrooms plus portable (vault-style) restrooms are provided; the park facility page notes modern restrooms are open during summer park hours along with a changing area, and the trail map shows a restroom icon right next to the beach/parking area.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Per LakeQuality.org's DNR-based lake grading, Fish Lake has a Secchi disk transparency of about 9.4 feet and an overall water-quality grade of B (phosphorus ~15 µg/L), ranking as the second-cleanest of 33 graded lakes in Chisago County behind Stauffer Lake. That's solidly clear water for a Twin Cities-area lake, though not gin-clear spring-fed clarity.
Hours
Park hours are 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily; modern restrooms/changing area operate during summer park hours, and the fee/permit season runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
On the water
Restrictions: Carry-in boat access only (no trailer boat ramp), the county facility page describes it as "Carry-in Boat Access" opening as early as 5:00 AM, and a county FAQ notes Fish Lake is the only Chisago County park with a boat landing. No horsepower/motor-restriction figure was found in official sources.
Official gallery/facility photos show kayaks and canoes at the landing; no evidence found of jet ski use or a designated no-wake zone, so those specifics stay unconfirmed rather than assumed.
Backstory
Chisago County, working with outdoor enthusiasts, park board members, consultants, and user groups since 2018, secured official regional park designation for Fish Lake Park from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission in 2026, making it eligible for Minnesota Legacy Amendment sales-tax funding for future improvements including a planned beach expansion and restroom upgrades.
Fish Lake Park & Beach: FAQ
Does Fish Lake Park & Beach charge a fee?
$3 per vehicle daily permit, $20 seasonal vehicle permit, $15 bus permit; required only Fri-Sun and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. No charge Monday-Thursday or outside that season.
Is Fish Lake Park & Beach kid friendly?
Official pages call it Chisago County's most popular swimming beach and it sits inside a family-oriented park (playground, picnic shelters), but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, water depth/drop-off at the beach, or a roped-off shallow area, so treat it as a supervise-your-kids lake beach rather than a lifeguarded, shallow-entry site.
Do I need to hike to reach Fish Lake Park & Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Fish Lake Park & Beach?
On-site lots directly adjacent to the beach and to the picnic-shelter area (see park trail map). Permit fee applies only Fridays-Sundays and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend; free Monday-Thursday and outside that season, with an honor-box system when no staff are present.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Fish Lake Park & Beach?
Official gallery/facility photos show kayaks and canoes at the landing; no evidence found of jet ski use or a designated no-wake zone, so those specifics stay unconfirmed rather than assumed.
When is the best time to visit Fish Lake Park & Beach?
Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), when the swimming beach, modern restrooms, and changing areas are open.
What are the rules at Fish Lake Park & Beach?
Vehicle permits required during the fee season as above; the park has ADA-accessible facilities. County planning documents flag pedestrian safety around Elmcrest Avenue, the public road running through the park.
What water body is Fish Lake Park & Beach on?
Fish Lake Park & Beach is on Fish Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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