Little Gabbro Lake
Lake County, Minnesota148 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Gabbro Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Gabbro Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 147.54 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 12, 2016 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Little Gabbro Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Gabbro Lake is a 148-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, northern pike, and rock bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-06-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Gabbro Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Gabbro 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 Gabbro Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Gabbro 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 6.5 ft. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | 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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Gabbro Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Gabbro Lake typically sits around 45°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Oct (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (45°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2011–2011) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Gabbro Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 12, 2016 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Little Gabbro Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Gabbro Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-09-12 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2016-09-12 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 5.58 | 8–13 in 2016-09-12 | 0.35 lb |
| Walleye | 3.50 | 9–20 in 2016-09-12 | 0.8 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.00 | 5–9 in 2016-09-12 | 0.17 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.92 | 8–19 in 2016-09-12 | 1.43 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.83 | 13–21 in 2016-09-12 | 2.03 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.17 | 5–10 in 2016-09-12 | 0.45 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Walleye
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
From the 2016-09-12 survey
Little Gabbro Lake is located approximately 11 miles SE of Ely within the BWCAW. The primary access is a 200 rod portage from a parking area located off the Spruce Road. There are 3 designated campsites located on the lake and another one located in the narrows between Little Gabbro and Gabbro Lakes. Seven species of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Gabbro 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 GabbroFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little GabbroPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
148 acres
Shoreline
7.7 mi
Littoral zone
79%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Little Gabbro Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Gabbro Lake
- → Little Gabbro Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Gabbro Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Gabbro Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Gabbro Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Gabbro Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gabbro Lake 2 (completed 1924), built primarily for recreation on the Isabella River; rockfill-type dam, 7 ft tall and 305 ft long.
- Surface area
- 154 ac
- Normal storage
- 10,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USDA FS
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00647 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.64 km)
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Little Gabbro Lake
Where is Little Gabbro Lake?
- Little Gabbro Lake is a lake in Lake 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 Gabbro Lake?
- Little Gabbro Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 147.54 acres.
Is Little Gabbro 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 Little Gabbro Lake?
- Little Gabbro Lake typically sits around 45°F at the surface in October, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2011). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Gabbro Lake?
- Little Gabbro Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 147.54 acres.
What fish are in Little Gabbro Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Gabbro Lake include black crappie, northern pike, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Little Gabbro Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Gabbro Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 12, 2016 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Little Gabbro Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Gabbro 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 Gabbro Lake?
- Public access to Little Gabbro Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2021
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder