Chain: South Lake
Beltrami County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
This is the name Minnesota PCA records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole.
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Chain: South Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Chain: South Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Chain: South Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Chain: South Lake ranks #51 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Chain: South Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Chain: South 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 Chain: South Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Chain: South Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Chain: South Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Chain: South Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Feb (about 33°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (33°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 65 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Chain: South Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Chain: South Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Chain: South Lake
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Fishing Chain: South Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.1 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Chain: South Lake
Where is Chain: South Lake?
- Chain: South Lake is in Beltrami County, Minnesota. This is the name Minnesota PCA records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Chain: South Lake?
- Chain: South Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Is Chain: South 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 Chain: South Lake?
- Chain: South Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 65 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Chain: South Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Red Lake DNR
REDLAKE_WQX86 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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.