Dora Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota423 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Dora Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- zebra mussel
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Dora Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 423.11 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Dora Lake. DNR survey details →
Dora Lake is a 423-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Dora Lake ranks #58 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Dora Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 20
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Dora 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 Dora Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Dora 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 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.1 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Dora Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dora Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 21 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dora Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Dora Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dora Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-17 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2019-06-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 25.38 | 4–11 in 2019-06-17 | 0.24 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 8.36 | 9–14 in 2019-06-17 | 0.74 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 7.48 | 8 in 2019-06-17 | 0.43 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.15 | 8–19 in 2019-06-17 | 1.83 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.28 | 11–22 in 2019-06-17 | 1.38 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.19 | 6–8 in 2019-06-17 | 0.45 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.
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
Black Bullhead
White Sucker
From the 2019-06-17 survey
Dora Lake is located in northwest Itasca County near Wirt, MN and is part of the Big Fork River watershed in the Hudson Bay drainage. This riverine lake is a widening of the Big Fork River. Dora Lake covers 447 acres and has a maximum depth of 18 ft. Partial winterkills have occurred occasionally. The water is bog…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dora Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DoraFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dora (0677)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DoraFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DoraPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
423 acres
Shoreline
6.8 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
448 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,312 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Dora 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 Dora Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dora 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 Dora Lake
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Follow Dora Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Dora Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 20
Earliest Mar 31, 2012 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 13
Earliest Nov 2, 2017 · Latest Dec 5, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Apr 4
2021
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Dora Lake
Where is Dora Lake?
- Dora 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 Dora Lake?
- Dora Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 423.11 acres.
Is Dora 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 Dora Lake?
- Dora Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 21 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Dora Lake?
- Dora Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 423.11 acres.
What fish are in Dora Lake?
- Fish species found in Dora Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Dora Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dora Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Dora Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dora Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Dora Lake thaw?
- Dora Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 13. The open water season is approximately 207 days.
Are there boat ramps on Dora Lake?
- Dora Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dora Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Dora Lake?
- Dora 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 Dora Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate