Flowage Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota112 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Flowage Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Flowage Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 111.57 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 1991 caught 3.25 walleye per gill net at Flowage Lake. DNR survey details →
Flowage Lake is a 112-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-11-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Flowage Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| 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 | 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Flowage Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Flowage Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 101 field readings (2010–2011) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Flowage Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 1991 caught 3.25 walleye per gill net at Flowage Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Flowage Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1991-08-16 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1991-08-16 (Standard Survey)
35 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 4.00 | 0.18 lb | |
| White Sucker | 3.63 | 1.36 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.50 | 4.96 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.88 | 0.15 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 2.88 | 0.29 lb | |
| Walleye | 2.00 | 1.65 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 1991-08-16 survey
ALL FISH POPULATIONS SAMPLED IN FLOWAGE LAKE ARE NATURALLY REPRODUCING. NOP GILLNET CATCH RATE OF 3.5 PER LIFT IS BELOW THE SCHUPP MEDIAN OF 6.2 PER LIFT FOR THIS CLASS LAKE. NOP SIZE STRUCTURE IS GOOD WITH 64% OF THE FISH SAMPLED LONGER THAN 21 INCHES. NOP GROWTH RATES ARE FASTER THAN AREA MEAN, WITH FISH REACHING 21…
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).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FlowageFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Flowage (0460)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
112 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,368 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Flowage Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Flowage 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 Flowage Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Flowage Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 13, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 17
Earliest Nov 6, 2003 · Latest Dec 1, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 7
2021
40 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Flowage Lake
Where is Flowage Lake?
- Flowage 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 Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 111.57 acres.
Is Flowage 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 Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 101 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2011). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Flowage Lake?
- Flowage Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 111.57 acres.
What fish are in Flowage Lake?
- Fish species found in Flowage Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch. Flowage Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Flowage Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 1991 caught 3.25 walleye per gill net at Flowage Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Flowage Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Flowage Lake thaw?
- Flowage Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 17. The open water season is approximately 209 days.
Can I fish at Flowage Lake?
- Public access to Flowage Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
42 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA42 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate