Moose Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota132 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Moose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
Moose Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 58.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 131.8 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake. DNR survey details →
Moose Lake is a 132-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Moose Lake ranks #79 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Moose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Moose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Moose 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 Moose Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Moose 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 3.8 ft. Phosphorus 58.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.5 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 58.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Moose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Moose Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in Sep (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 59 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 29.15 | 9–12 in 2014-06-30 | 0.4 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 25.97 | 4–9 in 2025-06-16 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.38 | 10–35 in 2025-06-16 | 1.76 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 6.16 | 10–20 in 2025-06-16 | 0.98 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.92 | 3–10 in 2025-06-16 | 0.48 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.90 | 4–13 in 2025-06-16 | 0.37 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Brown Bullhead
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Moose Lake is a 132 acre lake located on the border of Beltrami and Clearwater counties about 3.5 miles south of US Highway 2. A county maintained, earthen public assess is located on the west side of the lake off of 320th Street with space for about five vehicles with trailers. Due to low water, the lake is only…
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 (1710)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
Lake Details
Max depth
13 ft
Surface area
132 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
21 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,368 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Moose 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 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Moose Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Moose Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Moose Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+16 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+10.25 µg/L/yr2 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0342-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Moose Lake
Where is Moose Lake?
- Moose 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 Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 58.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 131.8 acres.
Is Moose Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Moose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 59 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 131.8 acres.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Moose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Moose Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Moose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 1.67 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Moose Lake?
- Moose 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 Moose Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2020–2022
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
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