Mead Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota81 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Mead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mead Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 81.42 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Mead Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches. DNR survey details →
Mead Lake is a 81-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Mead Lake ranks #44 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Mead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.7 ft of visibility
- Fishing7 species recorded
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 Mead 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 Mead Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Mead Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.7 ft. Phosphorus 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Mead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Mead Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2007-06-25 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2007-06-25 (Standard Survey)
19 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 23.83 | 4–8 in 2007-06-25 | 0.32 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 22.95 | 3–18 in 2007-06-25 | 0.69 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.20 | 5–8 in 2007-06-25 | 0.15 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 8.27 | 3–17 in 2007-06-25 | 0.57 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.96 | 16–21 in 2007-06-25 | 2.5 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.58 | 12–37 in 2007-06-25 | 4.28 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.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2007-06-25 survey
This is the first assessment that sampled northern pike. The northern pike population was relatively low and the gill net catch was at the low end of the expected range for lakes similar to Button Box. The average length of northern pike sampled was 29.2 inches with the longest being 37.5 inches. The average weight…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Mead Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ButtonboxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buttonbox (0642)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ButtonboxPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
81 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
84%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Mead Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Mead Lake
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Follow Mead Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Mead Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Mead Lake
Where is Mead Lake?
- Mead 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 Mead Lake?
- Mead Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 81.42 acres.
Is Mead Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Mead Lake?
- Mead Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 81.42 acres.
What fish are in Mead Lake?
- Fish species found in Mead Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, white sucker, yellow perch. Mead Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Mead Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 25, 2007 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Mead Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Mead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Mead Lake?
- Public access to Mead 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.
Explore Mead Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2023
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder