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Eugene Lake

NR
Not yet rated
11.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 181 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Eugene Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 181.35 acres.

Clarity
11.5 ft
Max depth
64 ft
Area
181 acres
Public access
No

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Why Eugene Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Eugene Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Eugene Lake is a 181-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 64 feet (33-foot average). The lake supports 8 documented fish species including green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, and lake whitefish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

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Water quality measurements for Eugene Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Chlorophyll-a: 4.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.4 µg/LNot graded
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Eugene Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eugene Lake in St. Louis 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 Eugene Lake

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Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth64 ft
Average Depth33 ft
Surface Area181 acres
Shoreline Length4.7 mi
Littoral Zone28%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
Elevation
1,260 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Eugene Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Yellow Perch7.700.06 lb
Northern Pike3.561.77 lb
LKW3.501.97 lb
Hybrid Sunfish2.080.05 lb
White Sucker1.582.17 lb
Green Sunfish1.250.04 lb

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.

Yellow Perch

93 fish · 26 in · 2016-09-06
8442023456

Northern Pike

25 fish · 1525 in · 2016-09-06
12601516171819202122232425

LKW

3 fish · 1717 in · 2016-09-06
32017

Hybrid Sunfish

17 fish · 16 in · 2016-09-06
740123456

From the 2025-07-30 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Eugene Lake on July 30th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Eugene Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

EPA Impairment Status

Eugene Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0473-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County

Frequently asked questions about Eugene Lake

What is the water quality grade for Eugene Lake?

Eugene Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 64 ft. Surface area: 181.35 acres.

Is Eugene Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Eugene Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Eugene Lake?

Eugene Lake has a maximum depth of 64 feet and an average depth of 33 feet. The lake covers 181.35 acres.

What fish are in Eugene Lake?

Fish species found in Eugene Lake include green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch. Eugene Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Where this data comes from

4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA4 samples · 2022

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
  • 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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