Bowstring Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota9,528 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bowstring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- zebra mussel
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
Bowstring Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 9528.13 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 10.20 walleye per gill net at Bowstring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Bowstring Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Bowstring Lake is a 9,528-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Bowstring Lake ranks #56 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 9,500 acres, Bowstring Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 5 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Bowstring Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Bowstring Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water9,528 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bowstring 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 Bowstring Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bowstring Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 38.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.5 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 38.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| 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 Bowstring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bowstring Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bowstring Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 10.20 walleye per gill net at Bowstring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bowstring 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
29 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-16 (Targeted Survey).
29 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-16 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Redhorse | 19.00 | 5.11 lb | |
| Walleye | 14.81 | 7–24 in 2021-08-02 | 1.07 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.25 | 5–11 in 2021-08-02 | 0.29 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 6.48 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 6.45 | 4–18 in 2021-07-12 | 1.74 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.80 | 14–32 in 2021-08-02 | 1.35 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.
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2025-09-16 survey
Bowstring Lake is located 12 miles northwest of Deer River, Minnesota. Fall, night electrofishing was conducted to sample young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye. The survey was the first since adult zebra mussels were found in 2020. The surface water temperatures and weather were good for sampling young Walleye. Water levels…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bowstring Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BowstringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bowstring (0668)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BowstringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Surface area
9,528 acres
Shoreline
34.1 mi
Littoral zone
50%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
242 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,312 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bowstring River #3Public
- Bowstring Lake (South)Public
- Bowstring Lake (Northeast)Public
- Bowstring Lake (Northwest)Public
- Jessie View ResortSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bowstring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bowstring Lake in Itasca 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 Bowstring Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Bowstring Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bowstring Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Bowstring Lake
Where is Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 9528.13 acres.
Is Bowstring Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake covers 9528.13 acres.
What fish are in Bowstring Lake?
- Fish species found in Bowstring Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Bowstring Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bowstring Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 10.20 walleye per gill net at Bowstring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bowstring 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.
Are there boat ramps on Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bowstring River #3, Bowstring Lake (South), Bowstring Lake (Northeast), Bowstring Lake (Northwest), among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bowstring Lake?
- Bowstring Lake has 5 documented boat landings 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.
Explore Bowstring Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
126 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
MNPCA126 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory