Bowstring Lake

Bowstring Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. The lake bottoms out at 32 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 9,528 acres, Bowstring Lake is one of the larger lakes in Itasca County, with 34.1 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Within the 141 graded lakes of Itasca County, Bowstring Lake sits at rank 115, near the bottom of the county list.

Bowstring Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 17 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Bowstring Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.