Echo Lake
Echo Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 108.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 11 ft
- Max depth
- 47 ft
- Area
- 108 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Carlton County
Why Echo Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Echo Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Echo Lake is a 108-acre lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 47 feet (20-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-07-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Echo Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. Trophic State Index: 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Echo Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Echo Lake in Carlton 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 Echo Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 47 ft |
| Average Depth | 20 ft |
| Surface Area | 108 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 18% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Echo LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Echo Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-23 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 26.43 | 1.01 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.73 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 8.08 | — |
| JND | 7.78 | — |
| CNM | 7.07 | — |
| BCS | 5.66 | — |
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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2021-08-23 survey
Echo Lake is a 104.5-acre lake with 19.3 (18%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of 47 feet. The lake is located partially within Moose Lake State Park, east of Moose Lake, MN and has a MN DNR owned concrete access on the northeast side of the lake. Echo Lake is managed as primarily a Largemouth Bass fishery,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Echo Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EchoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Echo (0266)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Echo (2068)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EchoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.362 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Echo Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Moose Lake State Park (completed 1988), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Moose Horn River-OS; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 10 ac
- Normal storage
- 23 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 60 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Parks
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00922 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.76 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Echo Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN09-0041-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.36 km)
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Echo Lake
What is the water quality grade for Echo Lake?
- Echo Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 47 ft. Surface area: 108.3 acres.
Is Echo Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Echo Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Echo Lake?
- Echo Lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet and an average depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 108.3 acres.
What fish are in Echo Lake?
- Fish species found in Echo Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Echo Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Echo Lake?
- Echo Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Echo Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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