Little Moose Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota289 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Moose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 23 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Moose Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 288.72 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Little Moose Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Moose Lake is a 289-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 23 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-07-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Moose Lake covers about 290 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Little Moose Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Little Moose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Moose 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 Moose Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Moose 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 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Moose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Little Moose Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-27 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-27 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 12.75 | 5–9 in 2023-08-14 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.74 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 4.38 | 4–12 in 2023-08-14 | 1.2 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 2025-05-27 survey
Little Moose Lake is located 12 miles northeast of Deer River, Minnesota. The 271-acre lake has 123 littoral acres, a maximum depth of 23 feet. Little Moose is managed primarily for Black Crappie and Bluegill while secondarily for Muskie, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Spring targeted sampling for panfish had…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Moose 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 MooseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Moose (0607)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little MoosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
23 ft
Surface area
289 acres
Shoreline
4.5 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,306 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Moose 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 Moose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Moose Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Moose Lake
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Follow Little Moose Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Moose Lake
- → Little Moose Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Moose Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Moose Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Moose Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Moose Lake
Where is Little Moose Lake?
- Little Moose 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 Moose Lake?
- Little Moose Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 23 ft. Surface area: 288.72 acres.
Is Little Moose Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Moose Lake?
- Little Moose Lake has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 288.72 acres.
What fish are in Little Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Moose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Moose Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Moose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Little Moose Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Moose Lake?
- Little Moose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Moose Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Moose Lake?
- Little Moose 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 Moose Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA7 samples · 2020–2023
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