Moosehead Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota279 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Moosehead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Moosehead Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 279.24 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Moosehead Lake. DNR survey details →
Moosehead Lake is a 279-acre lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Moosehead Lake covers about 280 acres in Carlton County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Moosehead Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Moosehead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Moosehead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Moosehead 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 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | 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. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Moosehead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Moosehead Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Jun (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Moosehead Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Moosehead Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moosehead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 8.23 | 3–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.3 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 4.99 | 6–17 in 2023-07-10 | 1.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.94 | 15–31 in 2023-07-10 | 1.68 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.81 | 4–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.58 | 5–11 in 2023-07-10 | 0.34 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.07 | 4 in 2023-07-10 | 0.19 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.
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-07-10 survey
Moosehead Lake is located on the east side of Moose Lake, MN. There is a city administered back-in access adjacent to the public park with a swimming beach. The lake is 279 acres and has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The 2023 survey was completed to update information about fish populations in Moosehead Lake. Special…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Moosehead Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MooseheadFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Moosehead (0267)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MooseheadPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
279 acres
Shoreline
3.2 mi
Littoral zone
93%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
122 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,037 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Moosehead LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Moosehead Lake
- Moose Lake City Campground0.8 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Moosehead Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Moosehead Lake in Carlton 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 Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Mar 12, 2024 · Latest May 21, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 22
Earliest Nov 20, 1981 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
37 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Moosehead 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: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN09-0041-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Moosehead Lake
Where is Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake is a lake in Carlton County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 279.24 acres.
Is Moosehead Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Moosehead Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 279.24 acres.
What fish are in Moosehead Lake?
- Fish species found in Moosehead Lake include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Moosehead Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Moosehead Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Moosehead Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moosehead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Moosehead Lake thaw?
- Moosehead Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 22. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Are there boat ramps on Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Moosehead Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead 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.
Are there campgrounds on Moosehead Lake?
- Moosehead Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Moose Lake City Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Moosehead Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Carlton County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Moosehead Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
42 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
MNPCA42 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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate