Elbow Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota1,695 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elbow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Elbow Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 1695.11 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2023 caught 1.58 walleye per gill net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Elbow Lake is a 1,695-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and cisco species. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Elbow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,695 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elbow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Elbow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Elbow Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°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 (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 74 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elbow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2023 caught 1.58 walleye per gill net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 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 4 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 18.38 | 4–15 in 2023-07-20 | 0.44 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.29 | 3–8 in 2023-07-20 | 0.25 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.39 | 13–21 in 2023-07-20 | 2.32 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.88 | 3–13 in 2023-07-20 | 0.21 lb |
| Walleye | 1.75 | 6–27 in 2023-07-20 | 1.76 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
White Sucker
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-08-20 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Elbow Lake on August 20th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also…
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 (1970)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
60 ft
Surface area
1,695 acres
Shoreline
27.8 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
22 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Elbow Lake (North)Public
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 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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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 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Stable4 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 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0744-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Elbow Lake
Where is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake is a lake in St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 1695.11 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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 74 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elbow Lake?
- Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 1695.11 acres.
What fish are in Elbow Lake?
- Fish species found in Elbow Lake include black crappie, bluegill, cisco species, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Elbow Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elbow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2023 caught 1.58 walleye per gill net at Elbow Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 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 4 years of monitoring is stable. 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 (North). 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
47 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA47 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
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