Elk Lake
Sherburne County, Minnesota357 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elk Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Elk Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 356.89 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2019 caught 1.00 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Elk Lake. DNR survey details →
Elk Lake is a 357-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet (5-foot average). 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 17 other monitored lakes in Sherburne County, Elk Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-10-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Elk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Elk Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 50.1 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 100µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 50.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Elk Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (1,976,970 cells/mL) on July 19, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2019 caught 1.00 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Elk Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-29 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2019-07-29 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 39.25 | 10–15 in 2019-06-24 | 1.09 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 27.40 | 2 in 2009-06-22 | |
| Walleye | 12.82 | 7–22 in 2019-06-24 | 1.96 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
Spottail Shiner
Walleye
From the 2019-07-29 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Elk Lake was conducted on July 29th, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 26 species…
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
9 ft
Average depth
5.4 ft
Surface area
357 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
246 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
951 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 Sherburne 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Elk Lake are listed below.
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.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 29, 2017 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 2, 1996 · Latest Dec 28, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 15
2023
34 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Elk 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN71-0141-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sherburne County
Frequently asked questions about Elk Lake
Where is Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake is a lake in Sherburne 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 Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 356.89 acres.
Is Elk Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Elk Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet and an average depth of 5.4 feet. The lake covers 356.89 acres.
What fish are in Elk Lake?
- Fish species found in Elk Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Elk Lake is located in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elk Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2019 caught 1.00 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Elk Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Does Elk Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Elk Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (1,976,970 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
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
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Sherburne County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Elk Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
34 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA34 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate