Little Elbow Lake
Mahnomen County, Minnesota168 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Elbow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 18 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Elbow Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 167.86 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Little Elbow Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Elbow Lake is a 168-acre mesotrophic lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Mahnomen County, Little Elbow Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Elbow 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 Elbow Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Elbow 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 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | 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) | 6.2µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Elbow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Little Elbow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Elbow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 1987-07-23 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-07-23 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 51.46 | 0.25 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 13.83 | 0.09 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 5.72 | 0.27 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.00 | 0.39 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.75 | 0.05 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.62 | 2.21 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 1987-07-23 survey
BLUEGILL DOMINATE THE FISH POPULATION STRUCTURE WITH NEARLY 140/TRAP NET SET. BLUEGILL APPEAR TO BE STUNTED WITH THE LENGTH MODE BEING APPROXIMATE- LY 4.2 STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS WITH A VARIETY OF SIZES WHICH WOULD INDICATE ADEQUATE NATURAL REPRODUCTION BLACK CRAPPIE WERE ALSO QUITE PREVALENT BUT ALSO ARE OF A…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Elbow Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little ElbowFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Elbow (1945)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
168 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
71%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,572 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Little Elbow Lake
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Fishing Little Elbow Lake
Nearby Lakes in Mahnomen County
Frequently asked questions about Little Elbow Lake
Where is Little Elbow Lake?
- Little Elbow Lake is a lake in Mahnomen 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 Elbow Lake?
- Little Elbow Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 167.86 acres.
Is Little Elbow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Elbow Lake?
- Little Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 167.86 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Elbow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Little Elbow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Elbow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Little Elbow Lake?
- Public access to Little Elbow 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
34 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX34 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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