Owl Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota90 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Owl Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Owl Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 90.37 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2010 caught 22.00 northern pike per gill net at Owl Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Owl Lake is a 90-acre lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet (5-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including black bullhead, brown bullhead, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Owl Lake covers about 90 acres in Hubbard County. The median ice-out date is April 15, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Owl Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Owl Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Owl 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 Owl Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Owl 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 14 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | 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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Owl Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Owl Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 49 field readings (2022–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Owl Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2010 caught 22.00 northern pike per gill net at Owl Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Owl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2010-07-28 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2010-07-28 (Standard Survey)
16 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 20.02 | 3–7 in 2010-07-28 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 12.84 | 0.28 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 10.79 | 11–13 in 2010-07-28 | 0.61 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.49 | 3–9 in 2010-07-28 | 0.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.55 | 14–28 in 2010-07-28 | 2.19 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.18 | 4–12 in 2010-07-28 | 0.39 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
Brown Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2010-07-28 survey
Owl Lake is located in Hubbard County, one mile northeast of Nevis. Owl Lake has a surface area of 85 acres and a maximum depth of 26 feet. Owl Lake is shallow, with most of the lake less than 15 feet in depth. There is no public access on the lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Owl Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OwlFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
90 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
86%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,407 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Owl Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Owl Lake in Hubbard 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 Owl Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Owl Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Owl Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.89 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.15 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 23, 2012 · Latest May 6, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 13
Earliest Oct 25, 2020 · Latest Nov 26, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 13
2025
44 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Owl Lake
Where is Owl Lake?
- Owl Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Owl Lake?
- Owl Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 90.37 acres.
Is Owl 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 Owl Lake?
- Owl Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 49 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Owl Lake?
- Owl Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 90.37 acres.
What fish are in Owl Lake?
- Fish species found in Owl Lake include black bullhead, brown bullhead, northern pike, pumpkinseed. Owl Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Owl Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2010 caught 22.00 northern pike per gill net at Owl Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–28 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Owl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Owl Lake thaw?
- Owl Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 13. The open water season is approximately 212 days.
Can I fish at Owl Lake?
- Public access to Owl Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Owl Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Hubbard County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Park Rapids Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
298 measurements from 2 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 Water
MNPCA298 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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