Little Trout Lake
Little Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 85.76 acres.
- Clarity
- 22 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 80 ft
- Area
- 86 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Itasca County
Little Trout Lake is a 86-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 80 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Little Trout Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-05. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 22 ft down. Phosphorus level: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 35.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 22 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 35 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Trout Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Trout 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.
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Water Temperature
Little Trout Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in Jun (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2024–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Trout Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft |
| Surface Area | 86 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 31% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wabana Lake (Northwest)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Trout Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2009-06-22 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 36.59 | 0.18 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 18.25 | 0.61 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 4.67 | 0.27 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.58 | 0.22 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.86 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.92 | 0.34 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.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Green Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
From the 2009-06-22 survey
Little Trout Lake is a 74 acre lake located 15 miles north of Grand Rapids. The lake is part of the Wabana chain of lakes and is in ecological lake class 28. Lakes in this class are small, deep and clear with relatively hard water. Other area lakes in this class include Nashwauk, Napoleon and Gale Lakes. Tullibee were…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Trout 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 TroutFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.146 m/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Trout 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 MN31-0392-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.03 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #22 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Trout Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 85.76 acres.
Is Little Trout Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Trout Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake covers 85.76 acres.
What fish are in Little Trout Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Trout Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow perch. Little Trout Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wabana Lake (Northwest). Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA52 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory