North Grave Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota525 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for North Grave Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
North Grave Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 524.65 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2023 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at North Grave Lake. DNR survey details →
North Grave Lake is a 525-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What North Grave Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 23
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Grave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether North Grave 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 North Grave Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for North Grave 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 13 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13ft | 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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about North Grave Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2023 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at North Grave Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Grave Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-11 (Targeted Survey).
18 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Shiner | 36.40 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 18.14 | 4–10 in 2023-07-11 | 0.19 lb |
| Bluegill | 10.90 | 3–9 in 2023-07-11 | 0.31 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 9.66 |
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
Bluegill
From the 2023-07-11 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Grave Lake was conducted on July 11-13, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites 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…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for North Grave Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GraveFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Grave (0736)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GraveFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GravePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
39 ft
Surface area
525 acres
Shoreline
7.7 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing North Grave Lake
- → North Grave Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → North Grave Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → North Grave Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from North Grave Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 23
Earliest Apr 6, 2021 · Latest May 4, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 14, 2014 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 6
2021
23 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
North Grave 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 MN31-0624-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about North Grave Lake
Where is North Grave Lake?
- North Grave 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 North Grave Lake?
- North Grave Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 524.65 acres.
Is North Grave Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Grave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is North Grave Lake?
- North Grave Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake covers 524.65 acres.
What fish are in North Grave Lake?
- Fish species found in North Grave Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. North Grave Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at North Grave Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2023 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at North Grave Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Grave Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does North Grave Lake thaw?
- North Grave Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 215 days.
Can I fish at North Grave Lake?
- Public access to North Grave 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
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA17 samples · 2021–2024
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate