Lost Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota124 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lost Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lost Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 23 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 124.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2014 caught 3.67 northern pike per gill net at Lost Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–36 inches. DNR survey details →
Lost Lake is a 124-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lost Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water23 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Deep water44 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lost Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lost 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 Lost Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lost 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 23 ft down. TSI 32.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 23ft | 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. | 32 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lost Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lost Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in Aug (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 (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2010–2010) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2014 caught 3.67 northern pike per gill net at Lost Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–36 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lost Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2014-06-23 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2014-06-23 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 16.04 | 3–8 in 2014-06-23 | 0.14 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.93 | 14–21 in 2014-06-23 | 2.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.73 | 15–36 in 2014-06-23 | 1.9 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.71 | 5–10 in 2014-06-23 | 0.22 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.53 | 5–8 in 1999-06-28 | 0.1 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.86 | 5–6 in 2014-06-23 | 0.13 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
White Sucker
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2014-06-23 survey
Lost Lake is a 107 acre, ecological class 5 lake located off Co Rd 334 and 8 miles southeast of Eveleth. There is one public access with a gravel ramp in the southwest corner of the lake (parking is limited). Lost Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and clear water. Lost Lake was stratified on June 23, 2014 with a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lost Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LostFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lost (1785)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LostPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
44 ft
Surface area
124 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lost 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 Lost Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lost 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 Lost Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lost Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lost 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0556-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Lost Lake
Where is Lost Lake?
- Lost 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 Lost Lake?
- Lost Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 23 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 124.07 acres.
Is Lost Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lost Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lost Lake?
- Lost Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2010). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lost Lake?
- Lost Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet. The lake covers 124.07 acres.
What fish are in Lost Lake?
- Fish species found in Lost Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker. Lost Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lost Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 23, 2014 caught 3.67 northern pike per gill net at Lost Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–36 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lost Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Lost Lake?
- Lost Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lost Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lost Lake?
- Lost 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
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020–2024
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory