Helen Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota158 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Helen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Helen Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 157.79 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 22, 2011 caught 4.00 northern pike per gill net at Helen Lake. DNR survey details →
Helen Lake is a 158-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 33 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Helen Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Helen Lake covers about 160 acres in Itasca County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Helen Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Helen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water33 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Helen 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 Helen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Helen 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 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.4 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Helen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Helen Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 35 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Helen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 22, 2011 caught 4.00 northern pike per gill net at Helen Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Helen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-08-22 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2011-08-22 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 9.67 | 3–9 in 2011-08-22 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.94 | 6–18 in 2011-08-22 | 1.83 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.15 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 5.06 | 5 in 2011-08-22 | 0.06 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.49 | 3–10 in 2011-08-22 | 0.23 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2011-08-22 survey
Helen (Tank) Lake is located in eastern Itasca County near Goodland, MN in the St. Louis River watershed. The lake is representative of ecological lake class 32. Helen Lake has a surface area of 158 acres and a littoral area of 86 acres. The maximum depth is 32 feet and the lake has 3.8 miles of shoreline. The Sechhi…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Helen Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HelenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Helen (0576)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HelenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
33 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
158 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
54%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Helen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Helen Lake in Itasca 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 Helen Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Helen Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Helen Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Helen Lake
Where is Helen Lake?
- Helen Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Helen Lake?
- Helen Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 157.79 acres.
Is Helen 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 Helen Lake?
- Helen Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September, from 35 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Helen Lake?
- Helen Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 157.79 acres.
What fish are in Helen Lake?
- Fish species found in Helen Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Helen Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Helen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 22, 2011 caught 4.00 northern pike per gill net at Helen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Helen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Helen Lake?
- Public access to Helen 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 Helen Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA22 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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