Esther Lake
Cook County, Minnesota78 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Esther Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Esther Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 77.5 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on October 28, 2024 caught 0.50 rainbow trout per trap net at Esther Lake. DNR survey details →
Esther Lake is a 78-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet (16-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including rainbow trout, splake, and white sucker. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Esther Lake covers about 78 acres in Cook County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is May 13, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Esther Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Esther Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 13
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Esther Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Esther 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 Esther Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Esther 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 9.5 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Esther Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on October 28, 2024 caught 0.50 rainbow trout per trap net at Esther Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Esther 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: 2024-10-28 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-10-28 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 19.89 | ||
| White Sucker | 6.20 | 10–16 in 2024-10-28 | 1.02 lb |
| Brook Trout | 2.88 | 2.09 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.
White Sucker
From the 2024-10-28 survey
Esther Lake is a small, 78-acre lake with a maximum depth of 35 ft and is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Hovland. There is a small boat access and a couple of camp sites located on the northeast side of the lake. Esther Lake is a designated stream trout lake and has been actively stocked with rainbow…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Esther Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EstherFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Esther (1836)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — EstherFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — EstherPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Average depth
16 ft
Surface area
78 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
45%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Esther 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 Esther Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Esther Lake in Cook 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 Esther 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 Esther Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Esther Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 13
Earliest May 13, 2011 · Latest May 13, 2011
Most recent ice-out
May 13
2011
4 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Esther 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0023-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Esther Lake
Where is Esther Lake?
- Esther Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Esther Lake?
- Esther Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 77.5 acres.
Is Esther Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Esther Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Esther Lake?
- Esther Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet and an average depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 77.5 acres.
What fish are in Esther Lake?
- Fish species found in Esther Lake include rainbow trout, splake, white sucker. Esther Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Esther Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on October 28, 2024 caught 0.50 rainbow trout per trap net at Esther Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Esther 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 Esther Lake thaw?
- Esther Lake typically has ice-out around May 13.
Are there boat ramps on Esther Lake?
- Esther Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Esther Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Esther Lake?
- Esther 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 Esther Lake across LakeQuality
10.7 mi away · 50 ft
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Where this data comes from
79 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA79 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate