Little Turtle Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota492 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Turtle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Turtle Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 491.68 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 27, 2020 caught 6.78 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Turtle Lake is a 492-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 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 2023-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Turtle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. 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 ft. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | 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. | 51 | 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 27, 2020 caught 6.78 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches.
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 4 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2020-07-27 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2020-07-27 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 30.33 | 4–8 in 2020-07-27 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.05 | 6–8 in 2020-07-27 | 0.32 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.72 | 15–31 in 2020-07-27 | 2.1 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 5.70 | 13–14 in 2020-07-27 | 0.71 lb |
| Walleye | 3.70 | 9–23 in 2020-07-27 | 1.65 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.58 | 14 in 2020-07-27 | 1.14 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
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2020-07-27 survey
The 2015 lake management plan (LMP) indicated Bluegill and Walleye were primary management species while Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike were secondary. The LMP goal was to maintain a Walleye gill-net catch rate at 5.0/net. Only gill nets were used in the 2020 survey. Information from the 2020 spring electrofishing…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Turtle Lake. 4 reports 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Turtle (0686)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little TurtleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little TurtlePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
492 acres
Shoreline
4.4 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,339 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Turtle 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 Turtle Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Turtle Lake
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Follow Little Turtle Lake’s readings
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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 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Apr 15, 2015 · Latest May 8, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 14
Earliest Nov 7, 2003 · Latest Nov 24, 2021
Most recent ice-out
May 8
2022
7 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Turtle Lake
Where is Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle 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 Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 491.68 acres.
Is Little Turtle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 491.68 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, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Turtle Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Turtle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 27, 2020 caught 6.78 walleye per gill net at Little Turtle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches. 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 4 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 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 14. The open water season is approximately 209 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Turtle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Turtle Lake?
- Little Turtle 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.
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Where this data comes from
14 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
MNPCA14 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate