Moose Lake
Moose Lake in Todd County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 130.74 acres.
- Clarity
- 6 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 26 ft
- Area
- 131 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 233 days
Next lake in Todd County
Why Moose Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Moose Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Moose Lake is a 131-acre lake in Todd County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Moose Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Moose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Moose Lake in Todd 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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Water Temperature
Moose Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft |
| Surface Area | 131 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 38% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Buck LakePublic
- Pepin LakePublic
- Moose LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Moose Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-05-01 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| SUN | 60.80 | — |
| Bluegill | 46.82 | 0.2 lb |
| CNM | 46.52 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 32.20 | 0.2 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 26.99 | 1.05 lb |
| Black Crappie | 17.29 | 0.32 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
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
From the 2023-05-01 survey
Moose Lake has been managed with a reduced bag limit for sunfish since 2016 when a 10 fish bag limit was enacted. This bag limit was further reduced to 5 fish in 2021. Trap netting and daytime electrofishing were performed throughout the month of May 2023 in an effort to calculate a population estimate of Bluegills…
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 (0903)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: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.45 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
Estimated open water season: 233 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-17 (2016) | 2018-05-01 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-10 (2018) | 2021-12-07 (2021) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-29
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN77-0026-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Moose Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Swanville WwtpSwanville · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MN0020109Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Moose Lake
Moose Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Todd County
Frequently asked questions about Moose Lake
What is the water quality grade for Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake in Todd County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 130.74 acres.
Is Moose Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Moose Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 57 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 26 feet. The lake covers 130.74 acres.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
- Fish species found in Moose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Moose Lake is located in Todd County, Minnesota.
When does Moose Lake thaw?
- Moose Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 233 days.
Are there boat ramps on Moose Lake?
- Moose Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buck Lake, Pepin Lake, Moose Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Moose Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
114 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
MNPCA114 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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