Elms Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota52 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Elms Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Elms Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 51.6 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2003 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Elms Lake. DNR survey details →
Elms Lake is a 52-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Isanti County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 16 other monitored lakes in Isanti County, Elms Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Elms Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 6
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Elms 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 Elms Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Elms Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 51.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.9 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 51.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Elms Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Elms Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 49 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Elms Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2003 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Elms Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elms Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2003-06-16 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2003-06-16 (Standard Survey)
23 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 24.66 | 2–18 in 2003-06-16 | 1.65 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 23.97 | 3–11 in 2003-06-16 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.62 | 3–7 in 2003-06-16 | 0.2 lb |
| Walleye | 3.70 | 8–18 in 2003-06-16 | 1.02 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.15 | 5–10 in 1993-06-09 | 0.17 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.32 | 4–7 in 2003-06-16 | 0.25 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
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2003-06-16 survey
Elms lake is a small, shallow lake located a mile south of Cambridge in central Isanti county. Public access can be gained from Florence lake through a short, navigable channel. Both lakes are subject to winterkill due in part to dense growths of aquatic vegetation. Gamefish are typically stocked into Florence lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Elms Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ElmsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Elms (1842)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
52 acres
Shoreline
1.4 mi
Littoral zone
83%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
938 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Elms Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Elms Lake in Isanti 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 Elms Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Elms 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Elms Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 6
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 3
Earliest Nov 10, 2018 · Latest Dec 29, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Mar 27
2025
26 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Isanti County
Frequently asked questions about Elms Lake
Where is Elms Lake?
- Elms Lake is a lake in Isanti County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Elms Lake?
- Elms Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 51.6 acres.
Is Elms 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 Elms Lake?
- Elms Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 49 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Elms Lake?
- Elms Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 51.6 acres.
What fish are in Elms Lake?
- Fish species found in Elms Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch. Elms Lake is located in Isanti County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Elms Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2003 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Elms Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Elms Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Elms Lake thaw?
- Elms Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Dec 3. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
Can I fish at Elms Lake?
- Public access to Elms Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Elms Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
172 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
MNPCA172 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate