Lake of the Woods County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 10 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Lake of the Woods County has 10 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Big Traverse Bay Lake (C); the most-stressed is Lake of the Woods (D).
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Quick Answers for Lake of the Woods County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Big Traverse Bay Lake — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
DNR Reports (2)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Lake of the Woods County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lake of the Woods (Main)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lake of the Woods (Fourmile Bay)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Lake of the Woods County
10 lakes10 graded lakes
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBig Traverse Bay LakeLake of the Woods | C | 4 ft | 33.5 µg/L | 13.7 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | CLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | C | 5.2 ft | 31 µg/L | 13.6 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | CLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | C | 4.8 ft | 26 µg/L | 9.9 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 4 | CLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | C | 5.5 ft | 26 µg/L | 9.4 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 5 | CLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | C | 3.3 ft | 35 µg/L | 5.7 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 6 | CLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | C | 5.2 ft | 26.5 µg/L | 6 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 7 | CLow LakeLake of the Woods | C | 5.4 ft | 28 µg/L | 8.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 8 | CLow LakeLake of the Woods | C | 4.2 ft | 22 µg/L | 8.4 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 9 | CLow LakeLake of the Woods | C | 5.5 ft | 27 µg/L | 9.3 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 10 | DLake of the WoodsLake of the Woods | D | 4.9 ft | 35 µg/L | 17.4 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
Lake Match
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Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Lake of the Woods County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.