Grouse Lake
Lake County, Minnesota119 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Grouse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 11 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Grouse Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 119.23 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2017 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Grouse Lake. DNR survey details →
Grouse Lake is a 119-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 11 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Grouse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Grouse Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Grouse 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 Grouse Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Grouse 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 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | 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 Grouse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2017 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Grouse Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grouse Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-07-10 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2017-07-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 17.83 | 1–8 in 2017-07-10 | 0.22 lb |
| White Sucker | 8.19 | 6–20 in 2017-07-10 | 2.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.66 | 9–34 in 2017-07-10 | 1.59 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
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2017-07-10 survey
Grouse Lake is located 7.5 miles northwest of Isabella and is 119 acres in size with a maximum depth of 11 feet. There is a carry-in access with a 100 foot trail suitable for small boats and canoes on Grouse Lake Road a short distance west of USFS Road 177 (Mitawan Lake Road). The water has a brown, bog-stained color…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Grouse Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GrouseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Grouse (1092)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GrousePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11 ft
Surface area
119 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
25 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,716 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Grouse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Grouse Lake in Lake 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 Grouse Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Grouse Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Grouse 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 MN38-0557-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Grouse Lake
Where is Grouse Lake?
- Grouse Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Grouse Lake?
- Grouse Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 11 ft. Surface area: 119.23 acres.
Is Grouse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Grouse Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Grouse Lake?
- Grouse Lake has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 119.23 acres.
What fish are in Grouse Lake?
- Fish species found in Grouse Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Grouse Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Grouse Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2017 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Grouse Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Grouse Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Grouse Lake?
- Public access to Grouse 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 Grouse Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
42 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
MNPCA42 samples · 2020–2025
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