Little Turtle Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota469 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Turtle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 25 ft max depth
Little Turtle Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 468.5 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Turtle Lake is a 469-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Little Turtle Lake ranks #68 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Turtle Lake covers about 470 acres in Beltrami County. The median ice-out date is April 29, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Little Turtle Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Little Turtle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 29
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Little Turtle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Turtle 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 Turtle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Turtle 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. Phosphorus 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12 µg/L. TSI 52.
| 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 | 23.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Turtle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Turtle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 23 field readings (2016–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Turtle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Turtle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-02 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-02 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.68 | 5–9 in 2021-08-02 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.14 | 11–32 in 2021-08-02 | 1.58 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.36 | 3–16 in 2021-08-02 | 1.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 3.99 | 3–10 in 2021-08-02 | 0.5 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.90 | 11–17 in 2021-08-02 | 1.73 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
Northern Pike
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2021-08-02 survey
Little Turtle is a 469-acre lake with a maximum depth of 25 feet located 10 miles north of Bemidji in Beltrami County. Little Turtle is part of a connected chain of lakes known as the Turtle River chain. Little Turtle is accessed by boat via the Turtle River from Big Turtle Lake which lies just downstream. Access is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Turtle 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 TurtleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
469 acres
Shoreline
5.6 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
46 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,332 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Turtle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Turtle Lake in Beltrami 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 Turtle Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Turtle Lake
- → Little Turtle Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Turtle Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Turtle Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Turtle Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 29
Earliest Apr 11, 2016 · Latest May 14, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 10, 2017 · Latest Nov 29, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 22
2025
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Little Turtle Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0155-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Little Turtle Lake
Where is Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake is a lake in Beltrami 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 Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 468.5 acres.
Is Little Turtle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Turtle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 23 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 468.5 acres.
What fish are in Little Turtle Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Turtle Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Turtle Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Turtle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Turtle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Turtle Lake thaw?
- Little Turtle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 29. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 206 days.
Can I fish at Little Turtle Lake?
- Public access to Little Turtle Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Turtle Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
179 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
MNPCA179 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate