Moose Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota1,273 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Moose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 61 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Moose Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 61 ft. Surface area: 1273.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2023 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Moose Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Moose Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Moose Lake is a 1,273-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 61 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Moose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Deep water61 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,273 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Moose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Moose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Moose Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 89 field readings (2023–2025) 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 low (11,912 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2023 caught 5.33 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
27 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-06 (Targeted Survey).
27 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 32.18 | 5–9 in 2023-08-21 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.43 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 9.72 | 6–12 in 2023-08-21 | 0.78 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
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2025-08-06 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Moose Lake on August 6th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake.…
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 (0606)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
61 ft
Surface area
1,273 acres
Shoreline
7.3 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,302 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 Itasca 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 Moose Lake
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Follow Moose Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 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 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0722-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Moose Lake
Where is Moose Lake?
- Moose 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 Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 61 ft. Surface area: 1273.39 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 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 89 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has a maximum depth of 61 feet. The lake covers 1273.39 acres.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Moose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tiger muskellunge, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Moose Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Moose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2023 caught 5.33 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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 low (11,912 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.
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.
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Where this data comes from
79 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA79 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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