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LakeQuality

Beth Lake

NR
Not yet rated
11.1 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 170 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Beth Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 170.05 acres.

Clarity
11.1 ft
Max depth
22 ft
Area
170 acres
Public access
No

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NRElla Lake6 ft clear · Cook CountyView →
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Why Beth Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Beth Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Beth Lake is a 170-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including northern pike, smallmouth bass, and white sucker. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-07-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

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Water quality measurements for Beth Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 11.1 ft. Trophic State Index: 42.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.1 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)42Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Beth Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beth 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 Beth Lake

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 →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth22 ft
Surface Area170 acres
Shoreline Length4.4 mi
Littoral Zone59%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
Elevation
1,844 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Beth Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2012-08-07 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Smallmouth Bass13.670.48 lb
White Sucker4.044.01 lb
Northern Pike0.830.82 lb
Yellow Perch0.25

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

Smallmouth Bass

82 fish · 512 in · 2012-08-07
3116056789101112

White Sucker

2 fish · 2124 in · 2012-08-07
1021222324

Northern Pike

3 fish · 1417 in · 2012-08-07
21014151617

Yellow Perch

1 fish · 11 in · 2012-08-07
101

From the 2012-08-07 survey

Beth Lake is 170 acres with a maximum depth of 22 feet and is located 21 miles north of Schroeder completely within the BWCAW. The lake is accessed by one of three portage routes. Alton Lake, to the east, is a 144 rod portage, or about half of a mile. Ella Lake, to the north, is a 72 rod portage, about 0.2 miles.…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Beth Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Nearby Lakes in Cook County

Frequently asked questions about Beth Lake

What is the water quality grade for Beth Lake?

Beth Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 170.05 acres.

Is Beth Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Beth Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Beth Lake?

Beth Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 170.05 acres.

What fish are in Beth Lake?

Fish species found in Beth Lake include northern pike, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch. Beth Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.

Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Where this data comes from

2 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA2 samples · 2022

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder