Moose Lake
Moose Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 71 ft. Surface area: 600.71 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 62°F
- Max depth
- 71 ft
- Area
- 601 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Beltrami County
Moose Lake is a 601-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 71 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Moose Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Moose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Moose 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.
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Water Temperature
Moose Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 60°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°F) and coldest in Oct (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 601 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Moose Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (25,823 cells/mL) on November 29, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 71 ft |
| Surface Area | 601 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 7.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 40% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Moose LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Moose Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-24 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 27.63 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.24 | 0.15 lb |
| GOS | 11.25 | — |
| CNM | 9.90 | — |
| BCS | 8.71 | — |
| Northern Pike | 7.67 | 1.68 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
From the 2021-08-24 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Moose Lake was conducted on August 24-25, 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 Moose Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MooseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Moose (1745)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MooseFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MoosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.365 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Moose Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0011-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 85 lakes in Beltrami County
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Moose Lake
What is the water quality grade for Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 71 ft. Surface area: 600.71 acres.
Is Moose Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Moose Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August, from 601 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has a maximum depth of 71 feet. The lake covers 600.71 acres.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Moose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Moose Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Does Moose Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Moose Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (25,823 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Moose Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Moose Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
96 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
MNPCA96 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory