Nord Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota418 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Nord Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Nord Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 418.16 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.60 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Nord Lake. DNR survey details →
Nord Lake is a 418-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Nord Lake covers about 420 acres in Aitkin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 14, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Nord Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Nord Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 14
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nord 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 Nord Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Nord 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.1 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.1µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Nord Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Nord Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 76 field readings (2016–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nord Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.60 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Nord Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nord Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-24 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Shiner | 56.78 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 30.49 | 6–20 in 2024-08-19 | 1.21 lb |
| Bluegill | 30.29 | 3–8 in 2024-08-19 | 0.16 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 26.32 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.17 |
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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-06-24 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Nord Lake was conducted on June 24, 2025, by Aitkin area fisheries staff. Sampling sites (N=10) were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Nord Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NordFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Nord (0032)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — NordFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — NordPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
418 acres
Shoreline
5.3 mi
Littoral zone
65%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,234 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Nord 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 Nord Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nord Lake in Aitkin 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 Nord 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 →
Follow Nord Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Nord Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 14
Earliest Apr 6, 2015 · Latest May 9, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 10, 2017 · Latest Dec 10, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 11
2020
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Nord Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- American Peat Technology LlcAitkin · 4.7 mi away · NPDES MN0057533Recent 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.
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Nord Lake
Where is Nord Lake?
- Nord Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nord Lake?
- Nord Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 418.16 acres.
Is Nord 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 Nord Lake?
- Nord Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 76 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Nord Lake?
- Nord Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 418.16 acres.
What fish are in Nord Lake?
- Fish species found in Nord Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Nord Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Nord Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2025 caught 0.60 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Nord Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nord Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Nord Lake thaw?
- Nord Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Are there boat ramps on Nord Lake?
- Nord Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Nord Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Nord Lake?
- Nord 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 Nord Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
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