Bearskin Lake
Cook County, Minnesota509 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bearskin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 78 ft max depth
- Public access
Bearskin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 509.22 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 28, 2023 caught 0.08 northern pike per trap net at Bearskin Lake. DNR survey details →
Bearskin Lake is a 509-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 78 feet (31-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including bluegill, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Bearskin Lake ranks #23 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bearskin Lake covers about 510 acres in Cook County. The median ice-out date is April 28, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Bearskin Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Bearskin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21 ft of visibility
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 28
- Deep water78 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bearskin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bearskin Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Bearskin Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bearskin Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down. Phosphorus 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.3 µg/L. TSI 32.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 32 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Bearskin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 28, 2023 caught 0.08 northern pike per trap net at Bearskin Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bearskin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-28 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 3.04 | 11–26 in 2023-08-28 | 1.97 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 2.31 | 3–4 in 2023-08-28 | 0.08 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.27 | 5–19 in 2023-08-28 | 0.83 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.11 | 5–6 in 2023-08-28 | 0.19 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.09 | 3–6 in 2023-08-28 | 0.12 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Lake Trout
Green Sunfish
Smallmouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-08-28 survey
West Bearskin Lake is a 509-acre lake located 23 miles northwest of Grand Marais with a public access boat launch on the east shore of the lake and carry-in portage landing along the south shore. Primary and secondary management species in West Bearskin Lake are lake trout and smallmouth bass. The 2023 standard lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bearskin Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BearskinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bearskin (1830)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BearskinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
78 ft
Average depth
31 ft
Surface area
509 acres
Shoreline
8.3 mi
Littoral zone
18%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,673 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bearskin Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bearskin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bearskin Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Bearskin Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bearskin Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.24 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.14 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 28
Earliest Apr 20, 2006 · Latest May 13, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 8, 1976 · Latest Nov 30, 2007
Most recent ice-out
May 13
2008
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Bearskin Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0228-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Bearskin Lake
Where is Bearskin Lake?
- Bearskin Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bearskin Lake?
- Bearskin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 509.22 acres.
Is Bearskin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bearskin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bearskin Lake?
- Bearskin Lake has a maximum depth of 78 feet and an average depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 509.22 acres.
What fish are in Bearskin Lake?
- Fish species found in Bearskin Lake include bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake trout, northern pike, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch. Bearskin Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bearskin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 28, 2023 caught 0.08 northern pike per trap net at Bearskin Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bearskin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bearskin Lake thaw?
- Bearskin Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 28. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 212 days.
Can I fish at Bearskin Lake?
- Public access to Bearskin Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Bearskin Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
63 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA63 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate