Deer Lake
Deer Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 121 ft. Surface area: 4093.48 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 67°F
- Max depth
- 121 ft
- Area
- 4,093 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 27
- Open water
- 226 days
Next lake in Itasca County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Deer Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 100 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Deer Lake is a 4,093-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 121 feet (42-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Deer Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Deer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Deer 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 Deer Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Deer Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Water Temperature
Deer Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 67°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 108 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Deer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Deer Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (77,983 cells/mL) on May 1, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 121 ft |
| Average Depth | 42.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,093 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 26.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 22% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Deer LakePublic
- Moose Lake (South)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Deer Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.57 | 1.13 lb |
| Rock Bass | 11.64 | 0.27 lb |
| CNM | 11.26 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 10.53 | 0.2 lb |
| MTS | 8.88 | — |
| Bluegill | 7.27 | 0.15 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Smallmouth Bass
Rock Bass
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2023-07-24 survey
Deer Lake is located northeast of Deer River, Minnesota. There is one public access on the southwest part of the lake. There were 373 homes or cabins counted during the last full survey, indicating moderate to high shoreline development. The 2018 lake management plan (LMP) indicated Muskie, Smallmouth Bass and Walleye…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Deer Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DeerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Deer (0609)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DeerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DeerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.165 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.43 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (54 observations).
Estimated open water season: 226 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-04-08 (2017) | 2013-05-18 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-30 (2002) | 2023-12-30 (2023) |
Most recent ice-out: 2023-05-09
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Deer Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Deer Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the Deer River; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 43 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,958 ac
- Normal storage
- 248,360 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 324,984 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 45 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00076 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Deer Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0719-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Deer Lake
What is the water quality grade for Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 121 ft. Surface area: 4093.48 acres.
Is Deer Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Deer Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in August, from 108 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has a maximum depth of 121 feet and an average depth of 42.1 feet. The lake covers 4093.48 acres.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
- Fish species found in Deer Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tiger muskellunge, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Deer Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
When does Deer Lake thaw?
- Deer Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 27. Ice typically forms around Dec 9. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Does Deer Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Deer Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (77,983 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Deer Lake?
- Deer Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Deer Lake, Moose Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
486 measurements from 8 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
MNPCA486 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (8)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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