Missouri Lake
Cook County, Minnesota24 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Missouri Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Missouri Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 24.25 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 8, 2017 caught 12.50 northern pike per gill net at Missouri Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–30 inches. DNR survey details →
Missouri Lake is a 24-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including northern pike. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Missouri 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 Missouri Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Missouri 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 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.8 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.8µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| 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 Missouri Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 8, 2017 caught 12.50 northern pike per gill net at Missouri Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Missouri Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-06-08 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2017-06-08 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 7.25 | 11–30 in 2017-06-08 | 1.96 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.83 | 16 in 1999-06-07 | 0.93 lb |
| Brook Trout | 1.25 | 11 in 1995-05-30 | 0.44 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.
Northern Pike
White Sucker
Brook Trout
From the 2017-06-08 survey
Missouri Lake is a small, very shallow water connected to the Poplar River (a desginated trout stream) by its outlet, Missouri Creek. As late as 1995 it supported a small number of naturally-produced Brook Trout, and fairly high numbers of White Sucker. By 1999 Northern Pike had become established in the lake. Since…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Missouri Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MissouriFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Average depth
Not documented
Surface area
24 acres
Shoreline
0.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
The available depth estimate for Missouri Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
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Stays near Missouri Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Missouri Lake
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Frequently asked questions about Missouri Lake
Where is Missouri Lake?
- Missouri Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Missouri Lake?
- Missouri Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Surface area: 24.25 acres.
Is Missouri Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Missouri Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Missouri Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 24.25 acres.
What fish are in Missouri Lake?
- Fish species found in Missouri Lake include northern pike. Missouri Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Missouri Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 8, 2017 caught 12.50 northern pike per gill net at Missouri Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–30 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Missouri Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Missouri Lake?
- Public access to Missouri 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.
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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