Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Loiten Lake

NR
Not yet rated
11.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 94 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Loiten Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 93.89 acres.

Clarity
11.5 ft
Max depth
49 ft
Area
94 acres
Trend
Improving
Public access
No

Next lake in St. Louis County

BShoepack Lake4.6 ft clear · St. Louis CountyView →
Loading map…

Why Loiten Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Loiten Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Loiten Lake is a 94-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 49 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, and rock bass. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Loiten Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

Get alerts for Loiten Lake

Water quality measurements for Loiten Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Trophic State Index: 42.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)42Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Loiten Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Loiten Lake in St. Louis 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 Loiten Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth49 ft
Surface Area94 acres
Shoreline Length2.2 mi
Littoral Zone24%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
Elevation
1,184 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Loiten Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-07-20 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Largemouth Bass6.430.78 lb
Yellow Perch3.67
Rock Bass0.550.14 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.

Largemouth Bass

62 fish · 516 in · 2015-07-20
9505678910111213141516

Yellow Perch

11 fish · 11 in · 2001-08-06
11601

Rock Bass

5 fish · 46 in · 2015-07-20
420456

From the 2015-07-20 survey

A standard lake survey was completed on Loiten Lake in 2015 as part of a scheduled investigation in accordance with the Loiten Lake management plan. Loiten is a 94 acre lake located within Voyageurs National Park. It is located in the mass of land between Kabetogama and Rainy Lake, and is part of a chain of lakes…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Loiten Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.5 m/yr2

EPA Impairment Status

Loiten Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0872-00 · Official waterbody report

Graded lakes near Loiten Lake

Loiten Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County

Frequently asked questions about Loiten Lake

What is the water quality grade for Loiten Lake?

Loiten Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 93.89 acres.

Is Loiten Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Loiten Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Loiten Lake?

Loiten Lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet. The lake covers 93.89 acres.

What fish are in Loiten Lake?

Fish species found in Loiten Lake include largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, rock bass. Loiten Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Where this data comes from

1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • USGS Minnesota Water Science CenterUSGS-MN1 sample · 2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

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