Lower Red Lake
Beltrami County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Red Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
Lower Red Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L.
Lower Red Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Lower Red Lake ranks #82 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2026-05-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Lower Red Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower Red 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 Red Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Red 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 ft. Phosphorus 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 36µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11µg/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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lower Red Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Red Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in Jan (about 32°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (32°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 150 field readings (2010–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Red Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lower Red Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lower Red Lake in Beltrami 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 Red Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lower Red Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing Lower Red Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.63 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.18 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Red Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle.
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit RLN_LOWER_RED_LAKE · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Red Lake
Where is Lower Red Lake?
- Lower Red Lake is a lake in Beltrami 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 Red Lake?
- Lower Red Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L.
Is Lower Red Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lower Red Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lower Red Lake?
- Lower Red Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 150 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
316 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Red Lake DNR
REDLAKE_WQX316 samples · 2020–2026
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