Low Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota316 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Low Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Low Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 316.39 acres.
Low Lake is a 316-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Low Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Low Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft. Phosphorus 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.8µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Low Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
316 acres
Shoreline
8.2 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,348 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Low LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Low Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Low Lake
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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0070-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Low Lake
Where is Low Lake?
- Low 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 Low Lake?
- Low Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 316.39 acres.
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Low Lake?
- Low Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 316.39 acres.
What fish are in Low Lake?
- Fish species found in Low Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Low Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Low Lake?
- Low Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Low Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Low Lake?
- Low 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
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA9 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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