Elk Lake
Elk Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 361.91 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 15 ft
- Area
- 362 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 4
- Open water
- 233 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Elk Lake →
Next lake in Sherburne County
Elk Lake is a 362-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet (7-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 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 #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 50.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 67.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 77 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 50.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Elk Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Elk Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Elk Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elk Lake water temperature breakdown →
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 (1,018,591 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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 15 ft |
| Average Depth | 7 ft |
| Surface Area | 362 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Elk LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-08-14 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 49.14 | 0.21 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 27.70 | 0.42 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 24.18 | — |
| Bluegill | 23.91 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.31 | 1.32 lb |
| JND | 8.04 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Bluntnose Minnow
Bluegill
From the 2017-08-14 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community on Elk Lake was conducted on August 14, 2017 by Fisheries Lake IBI program staff. Sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at…
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.016 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +13.05 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +15.27 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (19 observations).
Estimated open water season: 233 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2026-03-30 (2026) | 2008-04-21 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 1991-11-02 (1991) | 2021-12-07 (2021) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-30
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Elk Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Elk Lake, built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Battle Brook; other-type dam, 9 ft tall and 44 ft long.
- Surface area
- 353 ac
- Normal storage
- 294 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 42 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Trails
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01329 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Elk Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN71-0055-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 18 lakes in Sherburne County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Elk Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Sherburne County
Frequently asked questions about Elk Lake
What is the water quality grade for Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 50.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 361.91 acres.
Is Elk Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Elk Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 50.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elk Lake?
- Elk Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 361.91 acres.
What fish are in Elk Lake?
- Fish species found in Elk Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Elk Lake is located in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
When does Elk Lake thaw?
- Elk Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 233 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 (1,018,591 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.
Explore Elk Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
116 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
MNPCA116 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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