Finger Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota272 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Finger Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 60 ft max depth
- Limited data
Finger Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 271.84 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1980 caught 4.80 walleye per gill net at Finger Lake. DNR survey details →
Finger Lake is a 272-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Finger Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Finger 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 Finger Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Finger 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 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.9µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Finger Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1980 caught 4.80 walleye per gill net at Finger Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Finger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 30.20 | 0.27 lb | |
| Walleye | 4.80 | 1.75 lb | |
| White Sucker | 1.80 | 3.56 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 0.80 | 0.19 lb | |
| Shorthead Redhorse | 0.20 | 4 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 0.20 | 4.5 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.
From the 2025-07-30 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Finger Lake on July 30th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Finger Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FingerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Surface area
272 acres
Shoreline
7.1 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,220 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Finger Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Finger 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 Finger 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 Finger Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Finger Lake
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Finger Lake
Where is Finger Lake?
- Finger Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Finger Lake?
- Finger Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 271.84 acres.
Is Finger Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Finger Lake?
- Finger Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 271.84 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Finger Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1980 caught 4.80 walleye per gill net at Finger Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Finger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Finger Lake?
- Public access to Finger 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 Finger Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Lake Vermilion Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
5 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 Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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