Blueberry Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota125 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Blueberry Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 6 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Blueberry Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 49 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 124.56 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2020 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Blueberry Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Blueberry Lake is a 125-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet (4-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Blueberry Lake ranks #47 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Blueberry Lake covers about 120 acres in St. Louis County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Blueberry Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Blueberry Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Blueberry Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Blueberry 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 Blueberry Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Blueberry Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 49 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.7 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 49µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.7µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Blueberry Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2020 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Blueberry Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blueberry Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-07-08 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2020-07-08 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 7.03 | 3–10 in 2020-07-08 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.08 | 10–23 in 2020-07-08 | 1.63 lb |
| Bluegill | 3.58 | 7–10 in 2020-07-08 | 0.61 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.16 | 15–21 in 2020-07-08 | 2.73 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.44 | 3–12 in 2020-07-08 | 0.54 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.
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Bluegill
White Sucker
From the 2020-07-08 survey
Blueberry Lake is a 125 acre lake located 7 miles south of Ely. The lake has one access which is a ramp on the outlet of the lake with the main lake located just upstream. Blueberry has a maximum depth of 6 feet and dark brown bog-stained water. On July 10, 2020 Blueberry Lake was thermally mixed with a surface…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Blueberry Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlueberryFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Blueberry (1885)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BlueberryPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
6 ft
Average depth
4 ft
Surface area
125 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,404 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Blueberry LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Blueberry Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blueberry Lake in St. Louis 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 Blueberry Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Blueberry Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Blueberry Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Blueberry Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0054-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Blueberry Lake
Where is Blueberry Lake?
- Blueberry Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Blueberry Lake?
- Blueberry Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 49 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 124.56 acres.
Is Blueberry Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blueberry Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Blueberry Lake?
- Blueberry Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet and an average depth of 4 feet. The lake covers 124.56 acres.
What fish are in Blueberry Lake?
- Fish species found in Blueberry Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Blueberry Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Blueberry Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2020 caught 9.50 northern pike per gill net at Blueberry Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blueberry Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Blueberry Lake?
- Blueberry Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Blueberry Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Blueberry Lake?
- Blueberry Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA40 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory