Little Cowhorn Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota181 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Cowhorn Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Cowhorn Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 181.31 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1992 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Cowhorn Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Cowhorn Lake is a 181-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Cowhorn Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Cowhorn Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Cowhorn 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 Cowhorn Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Cowhorn Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.5ft | 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. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Cowhorn Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Cowhorn Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Aug (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2023–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Cowhorn Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1992 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Cowhorn Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cowhorn 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1992-07-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1992-07-08 (Standard Survey)
34 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 65.96 | 0.11 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 15.84 | 0.27 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 7.08 | 2.86 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 5.83 | 0.38 lb | |
| White Sucker | 1.33 | 1.55 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.33 | 0.24 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.
From the 1992-07-08 survey
Little Cowhorn Lake has a long history of low winter oxygen levels with many severe winterkills documented and several years when it was opened to "unlimited fishing". Northern pike rescue operations were done on the lake from the late 1930's to 1970, and walleye were reared in 1983 with no success. Fish populations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Cowhorn Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little CowhornFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Cowhorn (0553)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little CowhornPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
181 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,257 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Cowhorn LakePublic
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 Little Cowhorn Lake
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Fishing Little Cowhorn Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Little Cowhorn 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: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0198-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Cowhorn Lake
Where is Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn 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 Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 181.31 acres.
Is Little Cowhorn Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Cowhorn Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 181.31 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1992 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Cowhorn Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cowhorn 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 Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Cowhorn Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Cowhorn Lake?
- Little Cowhorn 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.
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Where this data comes from
31 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
MNPCA31 samples · 2020–2025
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory