Where is Elephant Lake?

Elephant 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.

How deep is Elephant Lake?

Elephant Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 718 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Elephant Lake?

Elephant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elephant Lake (Southeast). Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Elephant Lake?

Elephant 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.

Elephant Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota718 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

30 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

718 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

7.8 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
30 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Elephant Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 718 acres.

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Elephant Lake is a 718-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Elephant Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elephant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Elephant 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.

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Water quality measurements for Elephant Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Elephant Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Elephant Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

30 ft

Surface area

718 acres

Shoreline

7.8 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

The depth above comes from a bathymetric survey of this lake, not from a regional estimate.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Elephant Lake (Southeast)Public

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

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Stays near Elephant Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elephant 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Elephant Lake

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Fishing Elephant Lake

→ Elephant Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Elephant Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0810-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County

Silver Lake1.5 miView →Bog Lake3.3 ft clear2.6 miView →Bug Lake2.6 miView →South Bog Lake3.2 miView →Chub Lake4.2 miView →Blackduck Lake6.8 ft clear · Eutrophic4 miView →

Frequently asked questions about Elephant Lake

Where is Elephant Lake?: Elephant 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 Elephant Lake?: Elephant Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 718 acres.
Is Elephant Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elephant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Elephant Lake?: Elephant Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 718 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Elephant Lake?: Elephant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elephant Lake (Southeast). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Elephant Lake?: Elephant 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.