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Ojibway Lake

Hubbard County, MinnesotaOligotrophic

Ojibway Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 37 puts Ojibway Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Ojibway Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 184 acres and 3.3 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Among the 76 graded lakes in Hubbard County, Ojibway Lake sits at rank 21, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ojibway Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 7, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Crystal clear, you can see 15.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)15.8 ftA
Phosphorus10 µg/LA
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth22 ft
Surface Area184.06 acres
Shoreline Length3.3 mi
Littoral Zone72%
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

black crappie,bluegill,largemouth bass,northern pike,pumpkinseed,yellow bullhead,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Ojibway Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Ojibway Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Ojibway Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.057 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+0.6 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #21 of 76 lakes in Hubbard County

Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County

State Parks Near Ojibway Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-07-10 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Yellow Bass11.750.42 lb
Largemouth Bass11.671.85 lb
Northern Pike10.501.71 lb
Bluegill4.420.1 lb
Pumpkinseed2.580.24 lb
Black Crappie1.000.4 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.

Yellow Bass

87 fish · 611 in · 2017-07-10
3618067891011

Largemouth Bass

37 fish · 919 in · 2017-07-10
1160trophy 20910111213141516171819

Northern Pike

65 fish · 930 in · 2017-07-10
12601012141618202224262830

Bluegill

50 fish · 38 in · 2017-07-10
19100345678

From the 2017-07-10 survey

Ojibway Lake is located in south-central Hubbard County, five miles north of Dorset. Ojibway has a surface area of 184 acres and a maximum depth of 22 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the southwest shore of the lake. Ojibway is connected to Dead Lake by a small channel. Boating between the two…

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 Ojibway Lake. 3 reports on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Ojibway 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 MN29-0148-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.1 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Most recent sample: 2024-08-14

Monitoring stations: 1