Elbow Lake
Cook County, Minnesota408 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elbow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
Elbow Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 408.33 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Elbow Lake is a 408-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including bluegill, hybrid sunfish, and northern pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Elbow Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Elbow Lake covers about 410 acres in Cook County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Elbow Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Elbow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
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. Elbow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Elbow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Elbow Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 21 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elbow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches.
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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-09 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 21.06 | 1–10 in 2021-08-30 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.02 | 1–10 in 2025-06-09 | 0.42 lb |
| White Sucker | 5.30 | 11–21 in 2021-08-30 | 2.48 lb |
| Walleye | 3.27 | 8–26 in 2025-06-09 | 1.34 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.68 | 10–25 in 2025-06-09 | 1.47 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
Bluegill
White Sucker
Walleye
From the 2025-06-09 survey
Elbow Lake is a shallow, 408-acre lake located just off the Gunflint Trail, approximately 8 miles north of Grand Marais in Cook County, Minnesota. There is a small boat access with a concrete ramp and dock located on the eastern side of the lake. Most of Elbow Lake is shallow with weeds spread throughout and provides…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Elbow Lake. 2 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
- —Public Water Access Sites — ElbowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
408 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
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,693 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 Cook 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.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Elbow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0096-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Elbow Lake
Where is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake is a lake in Cook 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 Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 408.33 acres.
Is Elbow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elbow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 21 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 408.33 acres.
What fish are in Elbow Lake?
- Fish species found in Elbow Lake include bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Elbow Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elbow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. 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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA28 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
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