Napoleon Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota138 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Napoleon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Napoleon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 138 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2009 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Napoleon Lake. DNR survey details →
Napoleon Lake is a 138-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Napoleon Lake covers about 140 acres in Itasca County. The median ice-out date is April 29, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Napoleon Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Napoleon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 29
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Napoleon 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 Napoleon Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Napoleon Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | 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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Napoleon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Napoleon Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 88 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Napoleon Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2009 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Napoleon Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Napoleon Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2009-07-20 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2009-07-20 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 4.53 | 2–8 in 2009-07-20 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.30 | 5–6 in 2009-07-20 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.86 | 9–30 in 2009-07-20 | 1.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.30 | 7–10 in 2009-07-20 | 0.6 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.83 | 5–7 in 2009-07-20 | 0.22 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.65 | 16–18 in 2009-07-20 | 2.45 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
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2009-07-20 survey
Napoleon Lake is located about 17 miles northeast of Marcell, MN, within the Little Fork Watershed. The 123 acre lake has 42 littoral acres and a 30 foot max depth. Diverse aquatic plant life can be found along the 2.8 mile shoreline. A county access is located along the northeast side with limited parking. Similar to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Napoleon Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NapoleonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Napoleon (0747)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — NapoleonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Surface area
138 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
30%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,385 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Napoleon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Napoleon 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 Napoleon Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Napoleon Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 29
Earliest Apr 25, 2020 · Latest May 9, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 10, 2017 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
May 9
2022
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Napoleon Lake
Where is Napoleon Lake?
- Napoleon 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 Napoleon Lake?
- Napoleon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 138 acres.
Is Napoleon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Napoleon Lake?
- Napoleon Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 88 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Napoleon Lake?
- Napoleon Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 138 acres.
What fish are in Napoleon Lake?
- Fish species found in Napoleon Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Napoleon Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Napoleon Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2009 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Napoleon Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Napoleon Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Napoleon Lake thaw?
- Napoleon Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 29. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 205 days.
Can I fish at Napoleon Lake?
- Public access to Napoleon Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
83 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
MNPCA83 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate