Eagles Nest Lake
Eagles Nest Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 1027.63 acres.
Minnesota DNR surveys at Eagles Nest Lake average 5.93 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 18, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–25 inches. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 15.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 64°F
- Max depth
- 49 ft
- Area
- 1,028 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 29
- Open water
- 206 days
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Eagles Nest Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Eagles Nest Lake is a 1,028-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 49 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including bluegill, burbot, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Eagles Nest Lake ranks #30 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Eagles Nest Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eagles Nest Lake in St. Louis 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.
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Water Temperature
Eagles Nest Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 143 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Eagles Nest Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Eagles Nest Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (159,956 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR surveys at Eagles Nest Lake average 5.93 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 18, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Eagles Nest Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2025-08-18 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 13.18 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 7.17 | — |
| Walleye | 5.93 | 1.19 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.59 | 0.19 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Walleye
Bluegill
From the 2025-08-18 survey
Eagles Nest 3 (69-0285-03) is a 1,028-acre lake located 8 miles east of Tower. It is accessed by a concrete ramp off the Eagles Nest 3 access road which is off the Bear Head Lake State Park Road. A state park vehicle permit is required to launch and park at this access. The lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet and had…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Eagles Nest Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Eagles Nest #3Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Eagles Nest #3 (1876)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Eagles Nest #3Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 49 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,028 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 16.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 54% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Eagles Nest Lake #2Public
- Eagles Nest Lake #3Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Eagles Nest Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.021 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (32 observations).
Estimated open water season: 206 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-04-11 (2017) | 2013-05-13 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-07 (2019) | 2016-12-10 (2016) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-05-04
EPA Impairment Status
Eagles Nest 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 MN69-0285-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.52 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #30 of 68 lakes in St. Louis County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Eagles Nest Lake holds Grade B. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Eagles Nest Lake
Where is Eagles Nest Lake?
- Eagles Nest Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Eagles Nest Lake?
- Eagles Nest Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 1027.63 acres.
Is Eagles Nest Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Eagles Nest Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Eagles Nest Lake?
- Eagles Nest Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August, from 143 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Eagles Nest Lake?
- Eagles Nest Lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet. The lake covers 1027.63 acres.
What fish are in Eagles Nest Lake?
- Fish species found in Eagles Nest Lake include bluegill, burbot, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Eagles Nest Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Eagles Nest Lake?
- Minnesota DNR surveys at Eagles Nest Lake average 5.93 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 18, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Eagles Nest Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Eagles Nest Lake thaw?
- Eagles Nest Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 29. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 206 days.
Does Eagles Nest Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Eagles Nest Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (159,956 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Eagles Nest Lake?
- Eagles Nest Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Eagles Nest Lake #2, Eagles Nest Lake #3. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Eagles Nest Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
304 measurements from 10 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
MNPCA304 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (10)
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