Leora Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota263 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Leora Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Leora Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 262.76 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 5.20 walleye per gill net at Leora Lake. DNR survey details →
Leora Lake is a 263-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Leora Lake ranks #56 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Leora Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Leora Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Leora 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 Leora Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Leora Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 41µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Leora Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 5.20 walleye per gill net at Leora Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leora 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-09 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 46.02 | ||
| Bluegill | 13.88 | 3–8 in 2021-08-09 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.55 | 5–20 in 2021-08-09 | 1.11 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.37 | 4–11 in 2021-08-09 | 0.36 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
Black Crappie
From the 2021-08-09 survey
Leora Lake is a 263-acre lake with 110 (42%) littoral acres and a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake is located east of Highway 53, near Cotton, MN. Leora Lake has a concrete, back in public access on the south side of the lake directly off of CR #49. Primary management species are Walleye and Largemouth Bass. Walleye…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Leora Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LeoraFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Leora (1818)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LeoraFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LeoraPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Surface area
263 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
42%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,362 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Leora Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Leora Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Leora Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.91 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.29 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 12, 2005 · Latest Apr 24, 2020
Typical ice-in
Nov 19
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 5, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2020
7 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Leora 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 MN69-0521-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Leora Lake
Where is Leora Lake?
- Leora 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 Leora Lake?
- Leora Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 41 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 262.76 acres.
Is Leora Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Leora Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Leora Lake?
- Leora Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 262.76 acres.
What fish are in Leora Lake?
- Fish species found in Leora Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Leora Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Leora Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 2021 caught 5.20 walleye per gill net at Leora Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Leora 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 Leora Lake thaw?
- Leora Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 19. The open water season is approximately 212 days.
Can I fish at Leora Lake?
- Public access to Leora 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
41 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA41 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate