Caribou Lake
Cook County, Minnesota246 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Caribou Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Caribou Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 246.15 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 24, 1986 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Caribou Lake. DNR survey details →
Caribou Lake is a 246-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 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 2025-08-14. 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 Caribou 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 Caribou Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Caribou 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 8.8 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.8ft | 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Caribou Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 24, 1986 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Caribou Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Caribou Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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: 1986-09-24 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1986-09-24 (Standard Survey)
40 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 4.33 | 0.52 lb | |
| Walleye | 2.83 | 1.1 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 1.00 | 3.04 lb | |
| White Sucker | 1.00 | 2.79 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 1986-09-24 survey
THE WALLEYE POPULATION APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. THERE ARE SEVERAL STRONG AGE-CLASSES PRE- SENT. GROWTH IS SLOW, AS IT IS IN MANY LAKES IN THIS VICINITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL AGE-CLASSES OF NORTHERN PIKE PRESENT, INDICATING AT LEAST SOME RELIABLE SPAWNING.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Caribou Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CaribouFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
246 acres
Shoreline
7.6 mi
Littoral zone
82%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
10 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,864 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Caribou Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Caribou Lake
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Fishing Caribou Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Caribou Lake
Where is Caribou Lake?
- Caribou Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Caribou Lake?
- Caribou Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 246.15 acres.
Is Caribou Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Caribou Lake?
- Caribou Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 246.15 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Caribou Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 24, 1986 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Caribou Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Caribou Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Caribou Lake?
- Public access to Caribou 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.
Explore Caribou Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
3 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
MNPCA3 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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