Elbow Lake
Becker County, Minnesota995 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elbow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 76 ft max depth
- Public access
Elbow Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 994.71 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 21, 2024 caught 17.56 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Elbow Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Elbow Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Elbow Lake is a 995-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 76 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Elbow Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-06-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Elbow Lake covers about 990 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Elbow Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Elbow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water76 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Elbow 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 Elbow Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Elbow Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Elbow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 21, 2024 caught 17.56 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Elbow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elbow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-21 (Targeted Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 23.46 | ||
| Bluegill | 17.26 | 3–8 in 2024-07-08 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.61 | 5–10 in 2024-07-08 | 0.2 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 5.57 | 0.83 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-08-21 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Elbow Lake was conducted August 22nd - 23rd, 2024, by Detroit Lakes Fisheries Staff. Data was collected from 14 sampling stations evenly spaced around the lake. All stations were sampled with a backpack electrofishing unit, 3 were sampled with a 50-foot seine and 3…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Elbow Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElbowFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Elbow (1026)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ElbowFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ElbowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
76 ft
Surface area
995 acres
Shoreline
13.6 mi
Littoral zone
20%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
44 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,499 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Elbow 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 Elbow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elbow Lake in Becker 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 Elbow Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Elbow Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Elbow Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.21 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Mar 26, 2012 · Latest Apr 26, 2020
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 9, 2019 · Latest Dec 8, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 7
2024
40 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Elbow Lake
Where is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 994.71 acres.
Is Elbow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 76 feet. The lake covers 994.71 acres.
What fish are in Elbow Lake?
- Fish species found in Elbow Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Elbow Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elbow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 21, 2024 caught 17.56 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Elbow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elbow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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 Elbow Lake thaw?
- Elbow Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Are there boat ramps on Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elbow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Elbow Lake?
- Elbow 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 Elbow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX46 samples · 2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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