Dam Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota598 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Dam Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 48 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Dam Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 597.66 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Dam Lake. DNR survey details →
Dam Lake is a 598-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 48 feet (19-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Dam Lake covers about 600 acres in Aitkin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Dam Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water48 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Dam 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 Dam Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Dam 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 11.3 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.3ft | 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Dam Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dam Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Oct (about 72°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 (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 77 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Dam Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dam 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
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-23 (Targeted Survey).
20 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-23 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 31.50 | ||
| Bluegill | 27.89 | 3–8 in 2022-07-25 | 0.17 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.29 | 6–19 in 2022-07-25 | 1.01 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.18 | 5–6 in 2022-07-25 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 2.93 | 7–13 in 2022-07-25 | 0.85 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.93 | 15–28 in 2022-07-25 | 2.21 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-07-23 survey
This report includes results from multiple targeted surveys (TS) conducted throughout Aitkin County in 2025. Bigmouth Buffalo are present throughout Aitkin County. They are most abundant in the Mississippi River but are also common in lakes that have direct or distant connections to the Mississippi River via…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dam Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DamFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dam (0076)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DamFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DamPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
48 ft
Average depth
19 ft
Surface area
598 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,214 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Dam LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Dam Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dam Lake in Aitkin 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 Dam Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Dam Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Apr 1, 2016 · Latest Apr 26, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 16, 2014 · Latest Dec 23, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 16
2022
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0096-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Dam Lake
Where is Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 597.66 acres.
Is Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in October, from 77 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake has a maximum depth of 48 feet and an average depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 597.66 acres.
What fish are in Dam Lake?
- Fish species found in Dam Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Dam Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dam Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 2.75 walleye per gill net at Dam Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dam 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.
When does Dam Lake thaw?
- Dam Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Are there boat ramps on Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dam Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Dam Lake?
- Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
33 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA33 samples · 2020–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate