Little Saganaga Lake
Little Saganaga Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 1627.27 acres.
- Clarity
- 7 ft
- Max depth
- 150 ft
- Area
- 1,627 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
Next lake in Cook County
Why Little Saganaga Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Little Saganaga Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Little Saganaga Lake is a 1,627-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 150 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including burbot, lake trout, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-06-18. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Little Saganaga Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Trophic State Index: 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Little Saganaga Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Saganaga Lake in Cook 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 Saganaga Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 150 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,627 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 43.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 26% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Saganaga Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-09-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 4.44 | 1.56 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.00 | 2.84 lb |
| SMS | 1.86 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 0.63 | 0.11 lb |
| Lake Trout | 0.57 | 2.27 lb |
| BUB | 0.40 | 0.84 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
White Sucker
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
Lake Trout
From the 2024-09-09 survey
Little Saganaga Lake is a large, 1,627-acre lake with a maximum depth of 150 ft and is primarily managed for lake trout. Little Saganaga Lake lies entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWACW) and is a part of the Rainy River Headwaters watershed. Access is difficult due to multiple portages from…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Saganaga Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little SaganagaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.3 m/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Saganaga Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0809-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Little Saganaga Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Saganaga Lake?
- Little Saganaga Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 1627.27 acres.
Is Little Saganaga Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Little Saganaga Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Little Saganaga Lake?
- Little Saganaga Lake has a maximum depth of 150 feet. The lake covers 1627.27 acres.
What fish are in Little Saganaga Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Saganaga Lake include burbot, lake trout, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch. Little Saganaga Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
Explore Little Saganaga Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
4 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
MNPCA4 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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