Falk Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota73 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Falk Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
Falk Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 73.24 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2019 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Falk Lake. DNR survey details →
Falk Lake is a 73-acre mesotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 33 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Falk Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Falk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.8 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Deep water33 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Falk 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 Falk Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Falk Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.8 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Falk Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Falk Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in Jun (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 (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 341 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Falk Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2019 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Falk Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Falk 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-11 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2019-06-11 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 19.25 | 4 in 2009-06-22 | 0.11 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.33 | 5–8 in 2019-06-11 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.90 | 15–35 in 2019-06-11 | 1.7 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.80 | 3–4 in 2019-06-11 | 0.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.98 | 7 in 2019-06-11 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.96 | 12–13 in 2019-06-11 | 1.19 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 Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2019-06-11 survey
Falk Lake is a 73-acre lake located six miles east of the town of Clearbrook in northern Clearwater County. There is a county-owned public water access with parking for several trucks/trailers located on the north shore of the lake off Township Road 82. Falk Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet. Much of the shoreline…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Falk Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FalkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Falk (1713)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FalkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FalkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
33 ft
Surface area
73 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,299 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Falk 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 Falk Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Falk Lake in Clearwater 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 Falk Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Falk Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.83 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.02 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Falk Lake
Where is Falk Lake?
- Falk Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Falk Lake?
- Falk Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 73.24 acres.
Is Falk 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 Falk Lake?
- Falk Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 341 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Falk Lake?
- Falk Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet. The lake covers 73.24 acres.
What fish are in Falk Lake?
- Fish species found in Falk Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Falk Lake is located in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Falk Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2019 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Falk Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Falk 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.
Are there boat ramps on Falk Lake?
- Falk Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Falk Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Falk Lake?
- Falk 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
85 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
MNPCA85 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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory