Little Trout Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota86 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Trout Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 22, 2009 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Trout Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Trout Lake is a 86-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 80 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Trout Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water22 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
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 Trout 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 Trout Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Trout Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 22 ft down. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 22ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.9µg/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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Trout Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Trout Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (75°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 22, 2009 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Trout Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Trout Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2009-06-22 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2009-06-22 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 36.59 | 3–8 in 2009-06-22 | 0.18 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 18.25 | 7–17 in 2009-06-22 | 0.61 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 4.67 | 3–8 in 2009-06-22 | 0.27 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.58 | 5–8 in 2009-06-22 | 0.22 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.86 | 3–9 in 2009-06-22 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.92 | 5–13 in 2009-06-22 | 0.34 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
80 ft
Surface area
86 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
30 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wabana Lake (Northwest)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Little Trout Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Trout Lake
- → Little Trout Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Trout Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Trout Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Trout Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Trout Lake
Where is Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout 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 Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Trout Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 22, 2009 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Trout Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Trout Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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 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.
Can I fish at Little Trout Lake?
- Little Trout 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 Trout Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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