Lower Pigeon Lake
Itasca County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Pigeon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 47 ft max depth
- Public access
Lower Pigeon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L.
Lower Pigeon Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 47 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Lower Pigeon Lake ranks #66 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lower Pigeon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower Pigeon 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 Pigeon Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Pigeon 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 4.2 ft. Phosphorus 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 27.6 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 38µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 27.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lower Pigeon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Pigeon Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in Oct (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 438 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Pigeon Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Pigeon Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lower Pigeon (0833)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower PigeonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~47 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Lower Pigeon Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
306 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,302 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Lower Pigeon 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 Lower Pigeon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lower Pigeon Lake in Itasca 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lower Pigeon Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lower Pigeon Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Lower Pigeon Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lower Pigeon Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.71 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Pigeon Lake
Where is Lower Pigeon Lake?
- Lower Pigeon 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 Pigeon Lake?
- Lower Pigeon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L.
Is Lower Pigeon 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 Pigeon Lake?
- Lower Pigeon Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 438 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Pigeon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lower Pigeon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lower Pigeon Lake?
- Lower Pigeon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lower Pigeon Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lower Pigeon Lake?
- Lower Pigeon 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.
Explore Lower Pigeon Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
104 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX104 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory