Pope County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 25 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
There are 25 graded lakes in Pope County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 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 Linka Lake (A); the most-stressed is Malmedal Lake (F).
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Quick Answers for Pope County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Linka Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Pope County
DNR Reports (40)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Pope County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WestportFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — VillardFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StrandnessFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SignalnessFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ScandinavianFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RenoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PelicanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MinnewaskaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MalmedalFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LinkaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LevenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — JohannaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GroveFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GooseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GilchristFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EmilyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AnnFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — AmeliaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — AmeliaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AmeliaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — AnnFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — AnnPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EmilyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EmilyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GilchristFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GilchristPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GooseFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GoosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GroveFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GrovePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — JohannaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — JohannaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LevenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LinkaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LinkaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MalmedalFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MalmedalPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MinnewaskaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MinnewaskaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Nelson (Main Lake)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Pope County
25 lakes · 20 graded, 5 not rated20 graded lakes · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALinka LakePope | A | 10.2 ft | 21 µg/L | 4.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 50 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | AMinnewaska LakePope | A | 11 ft | 24 µg/L | 6 µg/L | No recent samples | 32 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | AScandinavian LakePope | A | 8 ft | 20 µg/L | 6.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 49 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | AScandinavian LakePope | A | 7.9 ft | 18.5 µg/L | 6.2 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 5 | ASignalness LakePope | A | 10.7 ft | 18 µg/L | 5 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 6 | CJohanna LakePope | C | 5.1 ft | 34.5 µg/L | 13.4 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 7 | CVillard LakePope | C | 4.6 ft | 31 µg/L | 13 µg/L | No recent samples | 16 ft | ✓ Public |
| 8 | CGrove LakePope | C | 5.1 ft | 27 µg/L | 12.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 31 ft | ✓ Public |
| 9 | CAmelia LakePope | C | 9.2 ft | 18 µg/L | 7.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 69 ft | ✓ Public |
| 10 | CLeven LakePope | C | 4.9 ft | 31.5 µg/L | 11.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 33 ft | ✓ Public |
| 11 | CReno LakePope | C | 7.5 ft | 33.5 µg/L | 9.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 23 ft | ✓ Public |
| 12 | DPelican LakePope | D | 5.2 ft | 50 µg/L | 23.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 34 ft | ✓ Public |
| 13 | DEmily LakePope | D | 2 ft | 90 µg/L | 24.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | ✓ Public |
| 14 | DGoose LakePope | D | 6.1 ft | 185.5 µg/L | 27.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 17 ft | ✓ Public |
| 15 | DAnn LakePope | D | 7.2 ft | 496.5 µg/L | 17.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 16 | DGilchrist LakePope | D | 3.9 ft | 53.5 µg/L | 27.4 µg/L | No recent samples | 24 ft | ✓ Public |
| 17 | DStrandness LakePope | D | 3 ft | 66 µg/L | 29.4 µg/L | No recent samples | 5 ft | Carry-in |
| 18 | DWestport LakePope | D | 4.6 ft | 53 µg/L | 21.4 µg/L | No recent samples | 12 ft | ✓ Public |
| 19 | FMalmedal LakePope | F | 1.6 ft | 173 µg/L | 84.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 20 | FSimon LakePope | F | 1.3 ft | 109.5 µg/L | 53.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in |
| NRUnnamed LakePope | NR | 3.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRUnnamed LakePope | NR | 3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRMarlu LakePope | NR | 4 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in | |
| NRHoff LakePope | NR | 6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in | |
| NRNelson LakePope | NR | 6.5 ft | 23 µg/L | 8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
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Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Pope 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.