Locator Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota133 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Locator Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 52 ft max depth
- Limited data
Locator Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 132.86 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Locator Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–35 inches. DNR survey details →
Locator Lake is a 133-acre mesotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including cisco species, largemouth bass, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Locator Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Locator Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water52 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. Locator Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Locator 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 Locator Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Locator Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 17.1 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Locator Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Locator Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 57°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 59°F) and coldest in Jun (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (59°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 572 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Locator Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Locator Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–35 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Locator Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-17 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 5.00 | 1–2 in 2000-07-24 | |
| Northern Pike | 3.73 | 19–35 in 2023-07-17 | 2.73 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.25 | 5–7 in 2010-07-12 | 0.08 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.96 | 8–17 in 2023-07-17 | 1.16 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.03 | 5–7 in 2023-07-17 | 0.21 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
Tullibee (Cisco)
Largemouth Bass
From the 2023-07-17 survey
Locator Lake is a 133 acre lake with good water clarity and a maximum depth of 52 feet. Locator Lake is located approximately 16 miles ESE of International Falls on the Kabetogama peninsula in Voyageurs National Park. Access is limited to portage trails from Kabetogama or Rainy Lakes. Locator Lake can also be accessed…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Locator Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LocatorFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
52 ft
Surface area
133 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,138 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Locator Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Locator Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Locator Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.72 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Locator Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0936-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Locator Lake
Where is Locator Lake?
- Locator Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Locator Lake?
- Locator Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 132.86 acres.
Is Locator Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Locator Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Locator Lake?
- Locator Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in August, from 572 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Locator Lake?
- Locator Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet. The lake covers 132.86 acres.
What fish are in Locator Lake?
- Fish species found in Locator Lake include cisco species, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow perch. Locator Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Locator Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 2.00 northern pike per gill net at Locator Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–35 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Locator Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Locator Lake?
- Public access to Locator 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.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX20 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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