Esquagamah Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota842 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Esquagamah Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Esquagamah Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 842.04 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 6.08 walleye per gill net at Esquagamah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Esquagamah Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Esquagamah Lake is a 842-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 31 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Esquagamah Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Esquagamah Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Esquagamah 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 Esquagamah Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Esquagamah 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 5 ft. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | 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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Esquagamah Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Esquagamah Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 54 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Esquagamah Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 6.08 walleye per gill net at Esquagamah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Esquagamah 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-29 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-29 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 21.61 | 4–11 in 2024-07-29 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 15.14 | 4–8 in 2024-07-29 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.85 | 3–8 in 2024-07-29 | 0.25 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.10 | 9–19 in 2024-07-29 | 1.45 lb |
| Walleye | 4.79 | 10–25 in 2024-07-29 | 1.38 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.
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-29 survey
Esquagamah Lake is located 10 miles west of Palisade and is a popular destination for many anglers in western Aitkin County. There is a state-owned public access with concrete log ramp located just off of Aitkin County Road 3. The lake supports a wide variety of habitats that are conducive to several species of game…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Esquagamah Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EsquagamahFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Esquagamah (0095)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EsquagamahFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EsquagamahPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Average depth
13 ft
Surface area
842 acres
Shoreline
6.2 mi
Littoral zone
62%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,224 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Esquagamah 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 Esquagamah Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Esquagamah Lake in Aitkin 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.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Esquagamah Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 15, 2024 · Latest May 6, 1996
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 10, 2017 · Latest Nov 29, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2025
54 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Esquagamah Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0147-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Esquagamah Lake
Where is Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 842.04 acres.
Is Esquagamah Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Esquagamah Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 54 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet and an average depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 842.04 acres.
What fish are in Esquagamah Lake?
- Fish species found in Esquagamah Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Esquagamah Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Esquagamah Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 6.08 walleye per gill net at Esquagamah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Esquagamah 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 Esquagamah Lake thaw?
- Esquagamah Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Are there boat ramps on Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Esquagamah Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Esquagamah Lake?
- Esquagamah 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.
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Where this data comes from
120 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA120 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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