Boot Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota323 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Boot Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 27 ft max depth
- Limited data
Boot Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 322.54 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 1973 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake. DNR survey details →
Boot Lake is a 323-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Boot 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 Boot Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Boot Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Boot Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 1973 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1973-08-27 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1973-08-27 (Standard Survey)
53 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 10.67 | 0.25 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 5.17 | 0.26 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.50 | 2.73 lb | |
| Walleye | 2.33 | 2.44 lb | |
| White Sucker | 2.00 | 2.23 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 1.83 | 0.42 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.
From the 1973-08-27 survey
(mod. heavy. The main components are well used The only gamefish present are walleye and northern pike. The walleye population is low in numbers and composed of older (age IV+) fish. The northern pike population is about average. Other fish include white sucker (average. size population.) Yellow perch (about average…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Boot Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BootFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
323 acres
Shoreline
7.3 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,332 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Boot Lake
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Fishing Boot Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Boot Lake
Where is Boot Lake?
- Boot 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 Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 322.54 acres.
Is Boot Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 322.54 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Boot Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 1973 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Boot Lake?
- Public access to Boot Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder