Peterson Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota99 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Peterson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 70 ft max depth
- Public access
Peterson Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 98.87 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1998 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Peterson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Peterson Lake is a 99-acre mesotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Peterson Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Peterson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Peterson 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 Peterson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Peterson 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 11.3 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Peterson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Peterson Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 56°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 58°F) and coldest in May (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (58°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 189 field readings (2011–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Peterson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1998 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Peterson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Peterson 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1998-06-17 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1998-06-17 (Standard Survey)
28 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 68.99 | 4–11 in 1998-06-17 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 17.90 | 5–10 in 1998-06-17 | 0.23 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.45 | 13–27 in 1998-06-17 | 1.2 lb |
| Bluegill | 3.50 | 9 in 1998-06-17 | 0.61 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.41 | 4–6 in 1998-06-17 | 0.29 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 0.67 | 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Bluegill
From the 1998-06-17 survey
Peterson Lake is in fisheries lake class 28 which is a group of small lakes with a regular shoreline and hard, clear water. Most Bemidji area lakes in this class are in Clearwater County. The list includes Lone, Lomond, Walker Brook, Deep, First, Second, and Falk lakes. The latest lake management plan, written in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Peterson Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PetersonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Peterson (1700)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PetersonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
70 ft
Surface area
99 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,417 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Peterson 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 Peterson Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Peterson Lake
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Fishing Peterson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.46 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Peterson Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Enbridge Energy Ltd - ClearbrookClearbrook · 2 mi away · NPDES MN0056324
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 Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Peterson Lake
Where is Peterson Lake?
- Peterson Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Peterson Lake?
- Peterson Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 98.87 acres.
Is Peterson 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 Peterson Lake?
- Peterson Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September, from 189 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Peterson Lake?
- Peterson Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 98.87 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Peterson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 1998 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Peterson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 13–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Peterson 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.
Are there boat ramps on Peterson Lake?
- Peterson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Peterson Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Peterson Lake?
- Peterson 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.
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Where this data comes from
83 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA83 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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