Medicine Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota461 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Medicine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
Medicine Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 461.28 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 3, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Medicine Lake. DNR survey details →
Medicine Lake is a 461-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Medicine Lake ranks #60 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Medicine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 5
- Deep water44 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Medicine 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 Medicine Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Medicine Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.1 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.1µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Medicine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Medicine Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 74 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Medicine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Medicine Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (102,802 cells/mL) on May 23, 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 September 3, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Medicine Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Medicine 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-25 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 8.96 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 5.87 | 4–10 in 2023-08-07 | 0.14 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.69 | 3–7 in 2024-09-03 | 0.2 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 4.77 | 5 in 1998-09-08 | 0.05 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
Pumpkinseed
Golden Shiner
From the 2025-08-25 survey
Minnesota DNR LBMA staff delineated the floating leaf and emergent aquatic vegetation of Medicine Lake on August 25th, 2025, following the protocols listed in the MN DNR Lake Plant Mapping Manual. There was a total of 140.85 acres of floating and emergent plants mapped. This consisted of 70.28 acres of emergent…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Medicine Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MedicineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Medicine (1733)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MedicineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MedicinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
44 ft
Surface area
461 acres
Shoreline
4.3 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Medicine 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 Medicine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Medicine 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Medicine Lake
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Follow Medicine Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Medicine Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.33 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.07 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 5
Earliest Apr 13, 2015 · Latest May 7, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 8, 2008 · Latest Nov 25, 2007
Most recent ice-out
May 7
2022
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Medicine Lake
Where is Medicine Lake?
- Medicine 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 Medicine Lake?
- Medicine Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 461.28 acres.
Is Medicine 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 Medicine Lake?
- Medicine Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 74 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Medicine Lake?
- Medicine Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet. The lake covers 461.28 acres.
What fish are in Medicine Lake?
- Fish species found in Medicine Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Medicine Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Medicine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 3, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Medicine Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Medicine 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.
When does Medicine Lake thaw?
- Medicine Lake typically has ice-out around May 5. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 199 days.
Does Medicine Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Medicine Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (102,802 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Medicine Lake?
- Medicine Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Medicine Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Medicine Lake?
- Medicine 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 Medicine Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
115 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA115 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate