Iron Chief Complex Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota207 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Iron Chief Complex Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 262 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Iron Chief Complex Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 262.1 ft. Surface area: 207.44 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 1.17 green sunfish per gill net at Iron Chief Complex Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–5 inches. DNR survey details →
Iron Chief Complex Lake is a 207-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 262 feet. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including lake trout, largemouth bass, and rainbow smelt. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Iron Chief Complex Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water24.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Deep water262.1 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 Iron Chief Complex 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 Iron Chief Complex Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Iron Chief Complex Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 24.5 ft down. TSI 31.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 24.5ft | 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. | 31 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Iron Chief Complex Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 1.17 green sunfish per gill net at Iron Chief Complex Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–5 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Iron Chief Complex Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2008-06-09 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 2008-06-09 (Standard Survey)
18 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Sunfish | 1.66 | 3–5 in 2008-06-09 | 0.05 lb |
| Bluegill | 0.75 | ||
| White Sucker | 0.22 | 13–19 in 2008-06-09 | 2.02 lb |
| Black Crappie | 0.22 | 11–12 in 2008-06-09 | 1.08 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.
Green Sunfish
White Sucker
Black Crappie
From the 2008-06-09 survey
Iron Chief Complex is a series of three abandoned mine pits (now connected) near the town of Buhl. Like most pit lakes, the water is relatively infertile and clear. Rainy and windy weather occasionally loosens sediment from the pit walls causing the water to cloud up temporarily. There is a city-owned public access on…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Iron Chief Complex Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Iron Chief ComplexFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Iron Chief ComplexFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
262.1 ft
Surface area
207 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,480 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Iron Chief Complex Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Iron Chief Complex Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Iron Chief Complex Lake
- → Iron Chief Complex Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Iron Chief Complex Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Iron Chief Complex Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Iron Chief Complex Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Iron Chief Complex Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Central Iron Range Sanitary Sewer District WwtpChisholm · 3 mi away · NPDES MN0020117MajorRecent violation
- Buhl-Kinney WwtfBuhl · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MN0022969
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Iron Chief Complex Lake
Where is Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Iron Chief Complex 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 Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Iron Chief Complex Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 262.1 ft. Surface area: 207.44 acres.
Is Iron Chief Complex Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Iron Chief Complex Lake has a maximum depth of 262.1 feet. The lake covers 207.44 acres.
What fish are in Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Fish species found in Iron Chief Complex Lake include lake trout, largemouth bass, rainbow smelt. Iron Chief Complex Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 1.17 green sunfish per gill net at Iron Chief Complex Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–5 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Iron Chief Complex Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Iron Chief Complex Lake?
- Public access to Iron Chief Complex 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
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder