Lower Lawrence Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota152 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Lawrence Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lower Lawrence Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 151.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1974 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Lower Lawrence Lake. DNR survey details →
Lower Lawrence Lake is a 152-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-07-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lower Lawrence Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower Lawrence 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 Lower Lawrence Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Lawrence 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 4.5 ft. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | 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. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lower Lawrence Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Lawrence Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2022–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Lawrence Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1974 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Lower Lawrence Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Lawrence Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1974-07-25 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1974-07-25 (Standard Survey)
52 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 10.33 | 0.32 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 7.67 | 0.14 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 5.67 | 1.63 lb | |
| White Sucker | 4.00 | 1.38 lb | |
| Walleye | 1.00 | 0.5 lb | |
| Shorthead Redhorse | 0.33 | 0.6 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.
From the 1974-07-25 survey
The fish population has changed little since the 1974 lake survey. N Pike abundance is above our local catch median. Abundance of other fishes is within normal limits for this type of lake.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Lawrence Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower LawrenceFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
152 acres
Shoreline
3.2 mi
Littoral zone
83%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Lower Lawrence Lake
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Fishing Lower Lawrence Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Lawrence Lake
Where is Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Lower Lawrence Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Lower Lawrence Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 151.67 acres.
Is Lower Lawrence Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Lower Lawrence Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Lower Lawrence Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 151.67 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1974 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Lower Lawrence Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Lawrence Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Lower Lawrence Lake?
- Public access to Lower Lawrence 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.
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Where this data comes from
65 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
MNPCA65 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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder