Dode Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota88 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Dode Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Dode Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 87.97 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1988 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Dode Lake. DNR survey details →
Dode Lake is a 88-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-28. 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 Dode 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 Dode Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Dode 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 7.3 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.3ft | 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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Dode Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1988 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Dode Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dode 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: 1988-06-29 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1988-06-29 (Standard Survey)
38 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 5.00 | 0.37 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.75 | 3.24 lb | |
| Bluegill | 3.50 | 0.16 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.25 | 0.22 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 0.75 | 0.1 lb | |
| White Sucker | 0.75 | 3 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 1988-06-29 survey
NORTHERN PIKE AND LARGEMOUTH BASS ARE PREDOMINANT PREDATOR SPECIES. NORTHERN PIKE ABUNDANCE IS ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIAN FOR THIS TYPE OF LAKE AND ARE GOOD AVERAGE SIZE. THE LARGEMOUTH ABUNDANCD RATE PROBABLY DOESN'T REPRESENT THE TRUE DENSITY OF THIS SPECIES AS 47 YOUNG-OF-YEAR WERE CAUGHT IN 9,000 SQUARE FEET OF…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dode Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DodeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dode (0579)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
88 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
84%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,352 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Dode Lake
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Fishing Dode Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Dode Lake
Where is Dode Lake?
- Dode Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dode Lake?
- Dode Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 87.97 acres.
Is Dode Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Dode Lake?
- Dode Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 87.97 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dode Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 1988 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Dode Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dode 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 Dode Lake?
- Public access to Dode Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA10 samples · 2020–2022
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder