Homer Lake
Cook County, Minnesota434 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Homer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 22 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Homer Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 433.96 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 7.17 walleye per gill net at Homer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Homer Lake is a 434-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including bluegill, burbot, and northern pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Homer Lake covers about 430 acres in Cook County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Homer Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Homer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Homer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Homer 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 Homer Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Homer 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 Homer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Homer Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (524,807 cells/mL) on June 6, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 7.17 walleye per gill net at Homer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Homer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 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: 2022-07-05 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-05 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 2.48 | 1–22 in 2022-07-05 | 1.28 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.19 | 1–8 in 2022-07-05 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.12 | 16–23 in 2022-07-05 | 1.49 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.95 | 9–23 in 2022-07-05 | 3.09 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.44 | 3–4 in 2022-07-05 | 0.21 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.
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
White Sucker
From the 2022-07-05 survey
Homer Lake is a relatively shallow, deeply bog-stained lake, currently managed for Walleye and Northern Pike. The lake lies partially within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, therefore about two thirds of the lake is open to motorized uses. Like most lakes in this area, it supports a relatively simple fish…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Homer Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HomerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Homer (1686)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HomerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
22 ft
Surface area
434 acres
Shoreline
12.6 mi
Littoral zone
92%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,818 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Homer LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Homer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Homer 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 Homer 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Homer Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Homer 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 MN16-0406-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Homer Lake
Where is Homer Lake?
- Homer 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 Homer Lake?
- Homer Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 433.96 acres.
Is Homer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Homer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Homer Lake?
- Homer Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 433.96 acres.
What fish are in Homer Lake?
- Fish species found in Homer Lake include bluegill, burbot, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Homer Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Homer Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 7.17 walleye per gill net at Homer Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Homer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Homer Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Homer Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (524,807 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Homer Lake?
- Homer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Homer Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Homer Lake?
- Homer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Homer Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
33 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
MNPCA33 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory