Gun Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota341 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gun Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 57 ft max depth
- Limited data
Gun Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 341.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 1973 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Gun Lake. DNR survey details →
Gun Lake is a 341-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 57 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. 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 2025-07-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Gun Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water57 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 Gun 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 Gun Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gun 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 9 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Gun Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 1973 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Gun Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gun Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 1973-08-25 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1973-08-25 (Standard Survey)
53 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 6.50 | 1.11 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 4.50 | 0.26 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 1.00 | 1.77 lb | |
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.50 | 1.55 lb | |
| White Sucker | 0.50 | 2.6 lb | |
| Bluegill | 0.50 | 0.35 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 1973-08-25 survey
(grown young loon. The Walleye population is composed of fish from age groups & is relatively large. Northern pike are low in numbers. Smallmouth bass are about average in numbers.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gun Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GunFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
57 ft
Surface area
341 acres
Shoreline
6.7 mi
Littoral zone
30%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,339 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Gun Lake
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Fishing Gun Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Gun Lake
Where is Gun Lake?
- Gun 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 Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 341.05 acres.
Is Gun Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Gun Lake?
- Gun Lake has a maximum depth of 57 feet. The lake covers 341.05 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Gun Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 25, 1973 caught 6.50 walleye per gill net at Gun Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gun Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Gun Lake?
- Public access to Gun 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.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA7 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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