Little Armstrong Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota70 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Armstrong Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Armstrong Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 69.68 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 3.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Little Armstrong Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–16 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Armstrong Lake is a 70-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Armstrong Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.5 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Armstrong 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 Little Armstrong Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Armstrong 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 15.5 ft down. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.5ft | 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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Armstrong Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 3.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Little Armstrong Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–16 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Armstrong Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5.23 | 5–16 in 2018-07-09 | 0.8 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.47 | 1–10 in 1998-07-06 | 0.13 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.05 | 9–16 in 2018-07-09 | 0.82 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.
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2018-07-09 survey
Little Armstrong (Camp) Lake is located approximately 10 miles SW of Ely in the Superior National Forest. This small lake has good water clarity and aquatic vegetation can be commonly found in its waters. The surrounding landscape is covered with a canopy of mixed deciduous and coniferous tree species. Public access…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Armstrong Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little ArmstrongFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
70 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
66%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,506 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Armstrong Lake
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Follow Little Armstrong Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Armstrong Lake
- → Little Armstrong Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Armstrong Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Armstrong Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Armstrong Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Little Armstrong Lake
Where is Little Armstrong Lake?
- Little Armstrong 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 Little Armstrong Lake?
- Little Armstrong Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 69.68 acres.
Is Little Armstrong Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Armstrong Lake?
- Little Armstrong Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 69.68 acres.
What fish are in Little Armstrong Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Armstrong Lake include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass. Little Armstrong Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Armstrong Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 3.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Little Armstrong Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–16 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Armstrong Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Little Armstrong Lake?
- Public access to Little Armstrong Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2020
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