Maple Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota255 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Maple Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Maple Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 254.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2021 caught 12.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Maple Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches. DNR survey details →
Maple Lake is a 255-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Maple Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Maple Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Maple 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 Maple Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Maple Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.3 ft down. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Maple Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Maple Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Jun (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2017–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Maple Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Maple Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (8,091 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2021 caught 12.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Maple Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Maple Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-21 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 13.96 | 2–8 in 2020-08-10 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.66 | 4–17 in 2020-08-10 | 0.99 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.16 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 5.11 | 7–16 in 2020-08-10 | 1.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.22 | 12–37 in 2020-08-10 | 1.3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.86 | 5–10 in 2020-08-10 | 0.15 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.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
Northern Pike
From the 2021-07-21 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Maple Lake was conducted on July 21-22, 2021, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Maple Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MapleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Maple (0705)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MapleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MaplePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
39 ft
Surface area
255 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
30%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,352 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Maple 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 Maple Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Maple 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Maple Lake
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Follow Maple Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Maple Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.65 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.31 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Maple Lake
Where is Maple Lake?
- Maple 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 Maple Lake?
- Maple Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 254.55 acres.
Is Maple 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 Maple Lake?
- Maple Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Maple Lake?
- Maple Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake covers 254.55 acres.
What fish are in Maple Lake?
- Fish species found in Maple Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Maple Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Maple Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2021 caught 12.03 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Maple Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Maple Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Maple Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Maple Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (8,091 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Maple Lake?
- Maple Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Maple Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Maple Lake?
- Maple 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 Maple Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory