Flowage Lake
Aitkin County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Flowage Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Flowage Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.5 µg/L.
Flowage Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Aitkin County, Flowage Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Flowage Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 Flowage 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 Flowage Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Flowage Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.5 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 55µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Flowage Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Flowage Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Flowage (0140)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FlowagePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Recreation & Access
- Wolds Ferry CrossingPublic
- Highway 65Public
- Flowage 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 Flowage Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Flowage 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Flowage Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Flowage Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Flowage Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.5 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Flowage Lake
Where is Flowage Lake?
- Flowage 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 Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 55 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.5 µg/L.
Is Flowage Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wolds Ferry Crossing, Highway 65, Flowage Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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 Flowage Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA28 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory