Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Ogishkemuncie Lake

NR
Not yet rated
11.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 762 acres
Limited DataMesotrophic

Ogishkemuncie Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 762.35 acres.

Clarity
11.5 ft
Max depth
75 ft
Area
762 acres
Trend
Declining
Public access
No

Next lake in Lake County

NRMueller Lake9 ft clear · Lake CountyView →
Loading map…

Why Ogishkemuncie 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 Ogishkemuncie 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.

Ogishkemuncie Lake is a 762-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 75 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including lake trout, lake whitefish, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-20. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Ogishkemuncie Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

Get alerts for Ogishkemuncie Lake

Water quality measurements for Ogishkemuncie Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Trophic State Index: 42.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)11.5 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)42Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Ogishkemuncie Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ogishkemuncie Lake in Lake 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 Ogishkemuncie Lake

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 →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth75 ft
Surface Area762 acres
Shoreline Length23.9 mi
Littoral Zone38%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
104 sq mi
Elevation
1,476 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Ogishkemuncie Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-09-19 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
LKW6.532.61 lb
Walleye3.241.56 lb
Northern Pike1.412.03 lb
White Sucker1.233.4 lb
Yellow Perch0.380.07 lb
Lake Trout0.253.68 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.

LKW

147 fish · 823 in · 2016-09-19
55280810121416182022

Walleye

76 fish · 728 in · 2016-09-19
1260trophy 24810121416182022242628

Northern Pike

14 fish · 1431 in · 2016-09-19
320141618202224262830

White Sucker

14 fish · 1123 in · 2016-09-19
53011121314151617181920212223

From the 2016-09-19 survey

Ogishkemuncie Lake is located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) within the Superior National Forest and is a non-motorized lake. It is approximately 40 miles northeast of Ely. There are six portage accesses from other nearby lakes. Ogish is 762 acres with a maximum depth of 75 feet and clear…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ogishkemuncie Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.207 m/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Ogishkemuncie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0180-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Ogishkemuncie Lake

What is the water quality grade for Ogishkemuncie Lake?

Ogishkemuncie Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 762.35 acres.

Is Ogishkemuncie Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Ogishkemuncie Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Ogishkemuncie Lake?

Ogishkemuncie Lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet. The lake covers 762.35 acres.

What fish are in Ogishkemuncie Lake?

Fish species found in Ogishkemuncie Lake include lake trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, walleye, white sucker. Ogishkemuncie Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.

Where this data comes from

9 measurements from 6 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 WaterMNPCA9 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (6)

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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder