Gust Lake
Cook County, Minnesota143 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Gust Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Gust Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Surface area: 143.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 5.67 walleye per gill net at Gust Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Gust Lake is a 143-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including northern pike, smallmouth bass, and walleye. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Gust Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gust Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Gust 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 Gust Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Gust 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 7 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | 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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Gust Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Gust Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 64°F) and coldest in Sep (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Gust Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 5.67 walleye per gill net at Gust Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gust Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-09-06 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2016-09-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 11.68 | 5–11 in 2016-09-06 | 0.27 lb |
| Walleye | 5.75 | 8–22 in 2016-09-06 | 1.21 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.46 | 10–15 in 2016-09-06 | 2.01 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 2.31 | 6–14 in 2016-09-06 | 0.95 lb |
| Northern Pike | 0.85 | 10–32 in 2016-09-06 | 1.44 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
Walleye
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2016-09-06 survey
Gust is a small, shallow lake with a few cabins on its shore, and limited public access. It has not been subject to much active fisheries management. Sometime between 1996 and 2006 Smallmouth Bass found their way (or were introduced) into the lake; by 2006, when they first appeared in a lake survey, their numbers…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Gust Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GustFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Gust (1561)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Surface area
143 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
The available depth estimate for Gust Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,811 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Gust Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Gust Lake in Cook 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 Gust Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Gust Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Gust Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2022–2025).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Gust Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0380-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Gust Lake
Where is Gust Lake?
- Gust Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Gust Lake?
- Gust Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Surface area: 143.05 acres.
Is Gust Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Gust Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Gust Lake?
- Gust Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Gust Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Gust Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 143.05 acres.
What fish are in Gust Lake?
- Fish species found in Gust Lake include northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Gust Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Gust Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 5.67 walleye per gill net at Gust Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Gust Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Gust Lake?
- Public access to Gust 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
6 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
MNPCA6 samples · 2021–2025
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