Elk Lake
Grant County, Minnesota207 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elk Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Elk Lake in Grant County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 206.59 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 2021 caught 14.67 walleye per gill net at Elk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Elk Lake is a 207-acre lake in Grant County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Elk Lake covers about 210 acres in Grant County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 8, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Elk Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Elk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Elk 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 Elk Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Elk 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 9 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Elk Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Elk Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 51 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elk Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 2021 caught 14.67 walleye per gill net at Elk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-23 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-23 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 27.49 | 5–19 in 2021-08-23 | 1.05 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 17.84 | 5–8 in 2021-08-23 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.96 | 3–8 in 2021-08-23 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 11.00 | 4 in 2015-08-24 | 0.81 lb |
| Walleye | 5.37 | 11–27 in 2021-08-23 | 1.84 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.02 | 9 in 2021-08-23 | 0.33 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.
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
From the 2021-08-23 survey
Elk Lake is a 207-acre lake located two miles north of Hoffman in Grant County. Average and maximum depth are 15 and 29 feet, respectively. Water clarity was 7.5 feet during the survey. City-owned beach and campground facilities are located on the south shore next to the public access. Because of this it is a popular…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Elk Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ElkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ElkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
207 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
53%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,201 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Elk 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 Elk Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elk Lake in Grant 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 Elk 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 Elk Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Elk Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 17, 2016 · Latest Apr 24, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 11, 2003 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 17
2016
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Grant County
Frequently asked questions about Elk Lake
Where is Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake is a lake in Grant County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake in Grant County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 206.59 acres.
Is Elk Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 51 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 206.59 acres.
What fish are in Elk Lake?
- Fish species found in Elk Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Elk Lake is located in Grant County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elk Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 2021 caught 14.67 walleye per gill net at Elk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Elk Lake thaw?
- Elk Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 233 days.
Are there boat ramps on Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elk Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Elk Lake?
- Elk 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 Elk Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Grant County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA46 samples · 2020–2025
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
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