Low Lake
Lake of the Woods County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Low Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- Public access
Low Lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L.
Low Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Lake of the Woods County, Low Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Low Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 5
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. Low Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Low 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 Low Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Low 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 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.8 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.8µg/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 Low Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Stays near Low Lake
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Fishing Low Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 5
Earliest Apr 26, 1976 · Latest May 19, 1996
Most recent ice-out
May 6
1997
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Low 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 MN39-0002-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake of the Woods County
Frequently asked questions about Low Lake
Where is Low Lake?
- Low Lake is a lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Low Lake?
- Low Lake in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L.
Is Low Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Low Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
When does Low Lake thaw?
- Low Lake typically has ice-out around May 5.
Can I fish at Low Lake?
- Public access to Low Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Low Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
79 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Red Lake DNR
REDLAKE_WQX79 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate