St. Louis County Lake Quality

Minnesota, 187 lakes, average grade C (Fair)

St. Louis County has 187 graded lakes, enough that within-county variation matters as much as the county average. Some are deep glacial basins, others are shallow agricultural-watershed waters, and the grade distribution reflects that mix. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Pike Lake (A) is the cleanest in the county.

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Quick Answers for St. Louis County

Cleanest lakes in St. Louis County →Cleanest lakes in Minnesota →Safest swimming lakes in Minnesota →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Pike Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.

DNR Reports (332)

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in St. Louis County. Showing 12 most recent — browse all reports →

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Fisheries Lake Survey — Wolf
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Wolf
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Wolf
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Whitewater
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Whiteface Reservoir
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — White
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — West Twin
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — War Club
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Bullet
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — West Two Rivers Reservoir
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Unnamed
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
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Fisheries Lake Survey — Erickson
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder

All Lakes in St. Louis County

Rank	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Max Depth	Phosphorus
1	Pike Lake	A	18 ft	60 ft	-
2	Sunshine Lake	A	20 ft	37 ft	-
3	Eagles Nest Lake	A	15.5 ft	49 ft	-
4	Mukooda Lake	A	16.6 ft	78 ft	17 µg/L
5	Silver Lake	A	19.3 ft	29 ft	13.5 µg/L
6	Majestic Lake	A	15.7 ft	51 ft	-
7	Schultz Lake	A	15.5 ft	48 ft	-
8	Smith Lake	A	15 ft	51 ft	-
9	Little Armstrong Lake	A	15.5 ft	26 ft	-
10	Little Long Lake	A	21 ft	45 ft	-
11	Rose Lake	A	-	31 ft	18 µg/L
12	Burntside Lake	A	16 ft	126 ft	7 µg/L
13	Armstrong Lake	A	16.2 ft	34 ft	-
14	Loon Lake	A	21.7 ft	-	-
15	Lost Lake	A	23 ft	44 ft	-
16	St James Pit Lake	A	47.6 ft	381 ft	-
17	Majestic Lake	A	17.1 ft	51 ft	-
18	St. Marys Lake	A	16.8 ft	44 ft	7.5 µg/L
19	Deep Lake	A	17.2 ft	50 ft	12 µg/L
20	Sabin Lake	A	35 ft	52 ft	19.5 µg/L
21	St. Mary'S Lake	A	15 ft	44 ft	-
22	Ely Lake	A	16 ft	70 ft	7 µg/L
23	Joe Martin Lake	A	36.7 ft	77 ft	9 µg/L
24	Cruiser Lake	A	25.4 ft	91 ft	5.3 µg/L
25	Whitewater Lake	A	15.4 ft	73 ft	14 µg/L
26	Aerie Lake	A	37.7 ft	-	-
27	Meander Lake	A	27.9 ft	-	-
28	Superior Lake	A	-	-	10 µg/L
29	Iron Chief Complex Lake	A	24.5 ft	262.1 ft	-
30	Little Sandy Lake	A	-	-	19 µg/L
31	Suseq32a Lake	A	-	-	-
32	Seq032a Lake	A	-	-	-
33	Lost Lake	A	15.1 ft	-	17 µg/L
34	Island Lake	A	14.5 ft	65 ft	8.5 µg/L
35	George Lake	A	14.3 ft	18 ft	10 µg/L
36	Pleasant Lake	A	10 ft	33 ft	12.5 µg/L
37	Little Trout Lake	A	20.3 ft	95 ft	20.4 µg/L
38	Perch Lake	A	13.5 ft	30 ft	11 µg/L
39	Side Lake	A	11 ft	32 ft	11.5 µg/L
40	White Lake	A	11.5 ft	29 ft	10 µg/L
41	Sturgeon Lake	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft	12.5 µg/L
42	Dodo Lake	A	13 ft	53 ft	8.2 µg/L
43	Cadotte Lake	A	10.2 ft	18 ft	13 µg/L
44	Bear Head Lake	A	11 ft	46 ft	19.5 µg/L
45	Anne Lake	A	14.4 ft	27 ft	9 µg/L
46	West Twin Lake	B	13.3 ft	18 ft	16.5 µg/L
47	Quill Lake	B	11.5 ft	46 ft	-
48	Loiten Lake	B	11.5 ft	49 ft	-
49	O'Leary Lake	B	10.7 ft	52 ft	-
50	Beast Lake	B	10.2 ft	66 ft	-
51	Long Lake	B	13.5 ft	33 ft	-
52	Unnamed Lake	B	11.5 ft	-	-
53	Clear Lake	B	10.8 ft	24 ft	-
54	Sandy Lake	B	-	-	20.5 µg/L
55	Caribou Lake	B	10.5 ft	21 ft	-
56	Fourteen Lake	B	10 ft	14.5 ft	-
57	Brown Lake	B	8.5 ft	27 ft	17.1 µg/L
58	Thirteen Lake	B	14 ft	17 ft	-
59	Pine Lake	B	7.5 ft	14 ft	15.5 µg/L
60	Ryan Lake	B	9.2 ft	13 ft	17 µg/L
61	Wynne Lake	B	7.3 ft	52 ft	15.5 µg/L
62	Clark Lake	B	12.5 ft	44 ft	-
63	Locator Lake	B	8.5 ft	52 ft	17.2 µg/L
64	Namakan Lake	B	11.5 ft	150 ft	-
65	Crab Lake	B	13 ft	57 ft	-
66	Gun Lake	B	11.5 ft	57 ft	-
67	Fenske Lake	B	11.5 ft	43 ft	-
68	Little Vermilion Lake	B	10 ft	17 ft	-
69	Agnes Lake	B	13.5 ft	30 ft	-
70	Finger Lake	B	8.5 ft	60 ft	8 µg/L
71	Eugene Lake	B	11.5 ft	64 ft	-
72	Toe Lake	B	13.5 ft	57 ft	-
73	Beartrack Lake	B	11 ft	55 ft	-
74	Sinneeg Lake	B	11 ft	32 ft	-
75	North Lake	B	12 ft	-	-
76	Gilbert Pit Lake	B	11.5 ft	443 ft	-
77	Big Rice Lake	B	-	5 ft	25 µg/L
78	Simian Lake	B	4.5 ft	-	25 µg/L
79	Peary Lake	B	6.7 ft	15 ft	20.5 µg/L
80	Twin Lake	B	3.6 ft	-	13 µg/L
81	Ek Lake	B	6.3 ft	19 ft	19.6 µg/L
82	Murphy Lake	B	5.2 ft	24 ft	18 µg/L
83	Shoepack Lake	B	4.6 ft	24 ft	19.8 µg/L
84	Namakan Lake	C	8.2 ft	150 ft	-
85	Rainy Lake	C	9.5 ft	161 ft	-
86	Sand Point Lake	C	7.5 ft	184 ft	-
87	Oslo Lake	C	9.2 ft	36 ft	-
88	Namakan Lake	C	9.8 ft	150 ft	-
89	Jorgens Lake	C	7.2 ft	21 ft	-
90	Rainy Lake	C	7.2 ft	161 ft	-
91	War Club Lake	C	7.9 ft	40 ft	-
92	Pelican Lake	C	7.5 ft	38 ft	-
93	Birch Lake	C	3.9 ft	25 ft	21 µg/L
94	Unnamed Lake	C	4.8 ft	7 ft	27 µg/L
95	Colby Lake	C	3.5 ft	30 ft	22 µg/L
96	Sand Lake	C	9 ft	15 ft	-
97	West Vermilion Lake	C	7.9 ft	76 ft	-
98	Fairy Lake	C	7 ft	19 ft	-
99	Bassett Lake	C	8 ft	21 ft	-
100	Elbow Lake	C	7 ft	60 ft	-
101	Everett Lake	C	7 ft	15 ft	-
102	Wolf Lake	C	9 ft	28 ft	-
103	Wolf Lake	C	6.6 ft	10 ft	20 µg/L
104	Flowage Lake	C	8.5 ft	15 ft	-
105	Elliot Lake	C	6.2 ft	13 ft	20.5 µg/L
106	Cedar Island Lake	C	3.8 ft	-	21 µg/L
107	Blackduck Lake	C	6.8 ft	30 ft	-
108	Spring Lake	C	9.5 ft	25 ft	-
109	Bear Island Lake	C	7 ft	62 ft	-
110	Little Sturgeon Lake	C	4.8 ft	22 ft	21 µg/L
111	Aerie Lake	C	9 ft	37 ft	-
112	Nichols Lake	C	5.1 ft	31 ft	20.5 µg/L
113	Heikkilla Lake	C	5 ft	7 ft	27.5 µg/L
114	Shagawa Lake	C	8.9 ft	48 ft	-
115	Pequaywan Lake	C	8.5 ft	33 ft	-
116	Leora Lake	C	7 ft	35 ft	46 µg/L
117	Warren Lake	C	7 ft	-	-
118	Lac la Croix Lake	C	8.6 ft	168 ft	-
119	69-0470-00 Lake	C	9 ft	76 ft	-
120	W Two Rivers Reservoir	C	6.4 ft	27 ft	28 µg/L
121	Ace Lake	C	7.5 ft	8 ft	-
122	Wagosh Lake	C	8 ft	10 ft	-
123	Bear Trap Lake	C	8.2 ft	38 ft	-
124	Fourtown Lake	C	8.2 ft	27 ft	-
125	Bog Lake	C	3.3 ft	-	14 µg/L
126	Oyster Lake	C	7.3 ft	130 ft	-
127	Trease Lake	C	4.7 ft	-	29 µg/L
128	69-0732-00 Lake	C	3.6 ft	14 ft	29 µg/L
129	Stone Lake	C	-	-	30.5 µg/L
130	Quill Lake	C	9.8 ft	46 ft	-
131	Winkle Lake	C	-	-	32 µg/L
132	Little Rice Lake	C	-	-	50 µg/L
133	Breda Lake	C	-	-	32 µg/L
134	East Twin Lake	C	2.8 ft	-	34 µg/L
135	South Sturgeon Lake	C	2.5 ft	43 ft	20 µg/L
136	Strand Lake	C	3.5 ft	16 ft	43 µg/L
137	Elbow Lake	C	3.6 ft	22 ft	52.5 µg/L
138	Carey Lake	C	4.9 ft	13.5 ft	30 µg/L
139	Susan Lake	C	3.6 ft	10 ft	32 µg/L
140	Mashkenode Lake	C	4.2 ft	14 ft	50.5 µg/L
141	Thirty-Six Lake	C	3 ft	-	22 µg/L
142	La Pond	C	3 ft	-	27 µg/L
143	Kabetogama Lake	D	4.4 ft	80 ft	-
144	Little Shoepack Lake	D	6.2 ft	25 ft	-
145	Kabetogama Lake	D	3.8 ft	80 ft	-
146	Rainy Lake	D	5.9 ft	161 ft	-
147	Kabetogama Lake	D	4.8 ft	80 ft	-
148	Kabetogama Lake	D	5.9 ft	80 ft	-
149	Agnes Lake	D	5.2 ft	18 ft	-
150	Sand Point Lake	D	6.6 ft	184 ft	-
151	Quarter Line Lake	D	4.6 ft	22 ft	-
152	Sand Point Lake	D	5.9 ft	184 ft	-
153	Crane Lake	D	6.6 ft	80 ft	-
154	Namakan Lake	D	4.1 ft	150 ft	-
155	Kabetogama Lake	D	5.9 ft	80 ft	-
156	East Vermilion Lake	D	6.5 ft	76 ft	-
157	One Pine Lake	D	4 ft	13 ft	-
158	Prairie Lake	D	4.8 ft	47 ft	-
159	Bear Lake	D	3.3 ft	-	31 µg/L
160	Bass Lake	D	4.2 ft	-	-
161	Briar Lake	D	6 ft	21 ft	-
162	Finberg Lake	D	6 ft	18 ft	-
163	Crane Lake	D	6 ft	80 ft	-
164	Sunday Lake	D	6.3 ft	-	-
165	Side Lake	D	5.2 ft	-	-
166	Boot Lake	D	5.5 ft	27 ft	-
167	Schubert Lake	D	6.5 ft	24 ft	-
168	Vermilion Lake	D	4 ft	-	-
169	Jacobs Lake	D	4.5 ft	9 ft	-
170	Alden Lake	D	4.9 ft	29 ft	-
171	Lower Comstock Lake	D	4.5 ft	30 ft	-
172	Otto Lake	D	6 ft	27 ft	-
173	Lower Pauness Lake	D	5.7 ft	36 ft	-
174	Esquagama Lake	D	3.5 ft	90 ft	-
175	Nibin Lake	D	5.6 ft	40 ft	-
176	Ban Lake	D	6 ft	10 ft	-
177	69-0620-00 Lake	D	5.5 ft	54 ft	-
178	Kabetogama Lake	F	2.6 ft	80 ft	-
179	Shell Lake	F	3 ft	15 ft	-
180	Thompson Lake	F	3 ft	9 ft	-
181	Wolf Lake	F	2 ft	12 ft	-
182	Whiteface Reservoir	F	3 ft	35 ft	-
183	Blueberry Lake	F	2 ft	6 ft	-
184	Johnson Lake	F	3 ft	18 ft	-
185	Sprite Lake	F	3 ft	16 ft	-
186	Markham Lake	F	3 ft	29 ft	-
187	Kauppi Lake	F	3 ft	-	-

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.