King Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota311 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for King Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
King Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 310.62 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 17, 2009 caught 5.17 walleye per gill net at King Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–27 inches. DNR survey details →
King Lake is a 311-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, King Lake ranks #65 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What King Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. King Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether King 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 King Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for King 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 4.5 ft. Phosphorus 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 29µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about King Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
King Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full King Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 17, 2009 caught 5.17 walleye per gill net at King Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows King Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2009-08-17 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2009-08-17 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 19.00 | 3–9 in 2009-08-17 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Crappie | 12.17 | 3–11 in 2009-08-17 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.35 | 4–10 in 2009-08-17 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.19 | 5–19 in 2009-08-17 | 1.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.11 | 18–35 in 2009-08-17 | 3.49 lb |
| Walleye | 2.29 | 20–27 in 2009-08-17 | 3.21 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.
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2009-08-17 survey
King Lake is a 296-acre lake located 17 miles north of Taconite, MN. The lake is relatively shallow with a maximum depth of 23 ft and a littoral area of 141 acres. The lake has an outlet to Balsam Lake on the south shore. Water levels are controlled by a small control structure on the outlet and is a migration barrier…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for King Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KingFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — King (0785)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KingPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
311 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
45%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,339 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near King Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near King 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around King Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near King Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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 King Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.95 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.51 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
King 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0258-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about King Lake
Where is King Lake?
- King 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 King Lake?
- King Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29 µg/L. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 310.62 acres.
Is King Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. King Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of King Lake?
- King Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is King Lake?
- King Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 310.62 acres.
What fish are in King Lake?
- Fish species found in King Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. King Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at King Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 17, 2009 caught 5.17 walleye per gill net at King Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows King Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at King Lake?
- Public access to King 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 King Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
153 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA153 samples · 2020–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder