Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake of the Woods. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake of the Woods in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L.
Lake of the Woods is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Lake of the Woods County, Lake of the Woods ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
The median ice-out date is May 5, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake of the Woods on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake of the Woods is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 5
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. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake of the Woods 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 Lake of the Woods
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lake of the Woods, 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 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.6 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake of the Woods
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM from gauge 05140520 (Lake of the Woods at Warroad, MN). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lake of the Woods. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lake of the Woods (Main)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake of the Woods
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake of the Woods in Lake of the Woods 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 Lake of the Woods
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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Fishing Lake of the Woods
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 5
Earliest Apr 26, 1976 · Latest May 19, 1996
Most recent ice-out
May 6
1997
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Lake of the Woods 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN39-0002-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake of the Woods County
Frequently asked questions about Lake of the Woods
Where is Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods is a lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L.
Is Lake of the Woods safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
When does Lake of the Woods thaw?
- Lake of the Woods typically has ice-out around May 5.
What is the water level at Lake of the Woods?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake of the Woods is 59.64 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 4:30 AM at gauge 05140520. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Can I fish at Lake of the Woods?
- Public access to Lake of the Woods 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 Lake of the Woods across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Red Lake DNR
REDLAKE_WQX17 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate