Linka Lake
Pope County, Minnesota178 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Linka Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
Linka Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 177.81 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Linka Lake. DNR survey details →
Linka Lake is a 178-acre mesotrophic lake in Pope County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 50 feet (22-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 19 other monitored lakes in Pope County, Linka Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Linka Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water50 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Linka 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 Linka Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Linka Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.2 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.2µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Linka Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Linka Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Linka Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Linka Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Linka 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.27 | 3–8 in 2023-07-10 | 0.08 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 14.14 | 3–5 in 2023-07-10 | 0.05 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.82 | 3–20 in 2023-07-10 | 1.12 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.65 | 5–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.13 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 8.29 |
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
Green Sunfish
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-07-10 survey
Lake Linka is a 175 acre, moderately productive basin located in southern Pope County. Maximum depth of the lake is 50 feet. Average depth is estimated at 22 feet. Water clarity is very good. Transparency measurements average 14.0 feet throughout the summer with occasional decreases due to weather events. The lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Linka Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LinkaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LinkaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LinkaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Average depth
22 ft
Surface area
178 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
107 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,178 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake LinkaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Linka Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Linka Lake
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Follow Linka Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Linka Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.86 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.76 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Pope County
Frequently asked questions about Linka Lake
Where is Linka Lake?
- Linka Lake is a lake in Pope County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Linka Lake?
- Linka Lake in Pope County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 177.81 acres.
Is Linka Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Linka Lake?
- Linka Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Linka Lake?
- Linka Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet and an average depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 177.81 acres.
What fish are in Linka Lake?
- Fish species found in Linka Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Linka Lake is located in Pope County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Linka Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Linka Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Linka 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.
Are there boat ramps on Linka Lake?
- Linka Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Linka. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Linka Lake?
- Linka 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 Linka Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
88 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
MNPCA88 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 (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