Gilstad Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota257 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gilstad Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Gilstad Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 256.76 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 0.18 northern pike per trap net at Gilstad Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Gilstad Lake is a 257-acre lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake supports 15 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 2024-07-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Gilstad Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gilstad Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Gilstad 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 Gilstad Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gilstad Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | 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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Gilstad Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Gilstad Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 66°F) and coldest in Aug (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 61 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gilstad Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 0.18 northern pike per trap net at Gilstad Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gilstad Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 24.10 | 4–8 in 2023-07-17 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.86 | 2–8 in 2023-07-17 | 0.22 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.87 | 12–17 in 2022-06-28 | 1.48 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.83 | 14–23 in 2023-07-17 | 2.09 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2025-08-05 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Gilstad Lake on August 5th, 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 Gilstad Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GilstadFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gilstad (1742)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GilstadFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GilstadPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
257 acres
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Littoral zone
44%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,316 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Gilstad Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Gilstad Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Gilstad Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0024-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Gilstad Lake
Where is Gilstad Lake?
- Gilstad Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gilstad Lake?
- Gilstad Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 256.76 acres.
Is Gilstad Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gilstad Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Gilstad Lake?
- Gilstad Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in August, from 61 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Gilstad Lake?
- Gilstad Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 256.76 acres.
What fish are in Gilstad Lake?
- Fish species found in Gilstad Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Gilstad Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Gilstad Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 0.18 northern pike per trap net at Gilstad Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gilstad Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Gilstad Lake?
- Public access to Gilstad 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.
Explore Gilstad Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder