Latoka Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota767 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Latoka Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 108 ft max depth
- Public access
Latoka Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 19 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 108 ft. Surface area: 766.63 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.50 walleye per trap net at Latoka Lake. DNR survey details →
Latoka Lake is a 767-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 108 feet (42-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Latoka Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Latoka Lake covers about 770 acres in Douglas County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Latoka Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Latoka Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water19 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water108 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Latoka Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Latoka 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 Latoka Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Latoka 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 19 ft down. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 19ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Latoka Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Latoka Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 86 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Latoka Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Latoka Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (9,550 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.50 walleye per trap net at Latoka Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Latoka Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 32.73 | 2–8 in 2022-07-18 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.73 | 6–9 in 2022-07-18 | 1.04 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 7.97 | ||
| Northern Pike | 6.46 | 10–19 in 2022-07-18 | 1.35 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.03 | 2–7 in 2022-07-18 | 0.2 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 5.54 | 3–7 in 2022-07-18 | 0.13 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
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
From the 2022-07-18 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Latoka Lake was conducted on July 18-20, 2022, by DNR Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Latoka Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LatokaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LatokaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LatokaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
108 ft
Average depth
42 ft
Surface area
767 acres
Shoreline
8.6 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,352 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lakota Lake (South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Latoka Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Latoka Lake in Douglas 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 Latoka 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 →
Follow Latoka Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Latoka Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.57 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 11, 2014
Typical ice-in
Dec 12
Earliest Nov 27, 2014 · Latest Jan 8, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2025
43 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Latoka 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 MN21-0106-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Latoka Lake
Where is Latoka Lake?
- Latoka Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Latoka Lake?
- Latoka Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 19 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 108 ft. Surface area: 766.63 acres.
Is Latoka Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Latoka Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Latoka Lake?
- Latoka Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in October, from 86 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Latoka Lake?
- Latoka Lake has a maximum depth of 108 feet and an average depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 766.63 acres.
What fish are in Latoka Lake?
- Fish species found in Latoka Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Latoka Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Latoka Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.50 walleye per trap net at Latoka Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Latoka Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Latoka Lake thaw?
- Latoka Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Dec 12. The open water season is approximately 237 days.
Does Latoka Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Latoka Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (9,550 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Latoka Lake?
- Latoka Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lakota Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Latoka Lake?
- Latoka 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 Latoka Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
402 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA402 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 (3)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate