Leighton Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota245 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Leighton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Leighton Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 245.45 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2019 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Leighton Lake. DNR survey details →
Leighton Lake is a 245-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 63 feet (30-foot average). The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Leighton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water63 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 Leighton 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 Leighton Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Leighton 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 21.7 ft down. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21.7ft | 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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Leighton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2019 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Leighton Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leighton Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-06 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 16.07 | 6–18 in 2003-07-20 | 0.78 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.02 | 3–8 in 2019-07-22 | 0.25 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 8.47 | 9–11 in 2019-07-22 | 0.54 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.58 | 4–10 in 2019-07-22 | 0.19 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-08-06 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Leighton Lake on August 6th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Leighton Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LeightonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Leighton (0845)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LeightonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
63 ft
Average depth
30 ft
Surface area
245 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,266 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Leighton 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 Leighton Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Leighton Lake
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Follow Leighton Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Leighton Lake
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Leighton Lake
Where is Leighton Lake?
- Leighton 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 Leighton Lake?
- Leighton Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 245.45 acres.
Is Leighton Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Leighton Lake?
- Leighton Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet and an average depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 245.45 acres.
What fish are in Leighton Lake?
- Fish species found in Leighton Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Leighton Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Leighton Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2019 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Leighton Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leighton Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Leighton Lake?
- Leighton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Leighton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Leighton Lake?
- Leighton 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 Leighton Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement 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
MNPCA1 sample · 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory