Little Bowstring Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota326 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Bowstring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Bowstring Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 326.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Little Bowstring Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Bowstring Lake is a 326-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 33 feet. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-10-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Bowstring Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water33 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 Little Bowstring 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 Bowstring Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Bowstring 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 7.3 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.3ft | 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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Bowstring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Little Bowstring Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Bowstring Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 45.26 | 4–8 in 2022-07-18 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.55 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 8.06 | 18 in 2022-07-18 | 1.54 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.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-07-18 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Little Bowstring Lake was conducted on July 18-20, 2022 by 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 seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Bowstring Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little BowstringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Bowstring (0733)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little BowstringFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little BowstringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
33 ft
Surface area
326 acres
Shoreline
3.2 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,319 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Bowstring 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 Little Bowstring Lake
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Follow Little Bowstring Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Bowstring Lake
- → Little Bowstring Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Bowstring Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Bowstring Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Bowstring Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 13, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 7, 2003 · Latest Dec 9, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 15
2016
33 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Bowstring Lake
Where is Little Bowstring Lake?
- Little Bowstring 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 Little Bowstring Lake?
- Little Bowstring Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 326.48 acres.
Is Little Bowstring Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Bowstring Lake?
- Little Bowstring Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet. The lake covers 326.48 acres.
What fish are in Little Bowstring Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Bowstring Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Bowstring Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Bowstring Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Little Bowstring Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Bowstring Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Bowstring Lake thaw?
- Little Bowstring Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Bowstring Lake?
- Little Bowstring Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Bowstring Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Bowstring Lake?
- Little Bowstring 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 Little Bowstring Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
11 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
MNPCA11 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate