Phoebe Lake
Cook County, Minnesota610 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Phoebe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 25 ft max depth
- Limited data
Phoebe Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 610.01 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Phoebe Lake. DNR survey details →
Phoebe Lake is a 610-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet (10-foot average). The lake supports 7 documented fish species including green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-07-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Phoebe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Phoebe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Phoebe 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 Phoebe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Phoebe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Phoebe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Phoebe Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Phoebe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 10.86 | 7–23 in 2018-06-18 | 2.07 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 7.00 | ||
| Smallmouth Bass | 2.98 | 5–15 in 2018-06-18 | 0.73 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.54 | 17–27 in 2018-06-18 | 2.27 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.46 | 1–3 in 2018-06-18 | 0.1 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.
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2018-06-18 survey
Phoebe Lake is located 20 miles north of Schroeder in the BWCAW. The lake is part of the "Girl Chain" and has two accesses, a portage trail from Grace Lake on the NE end of the lake, and a canoe route from Knight Lake on the NW end. Entry points would be either Sawbill or Kawishiwi Lakes. Getting to the lake, like…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Phoebe Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PhoebeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
610 acres
Shoreline
15.1 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,722 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Phoebe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Phoebe Lake in Cook 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 Phoebe Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Phoebe Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Phoebe Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0808-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Phoebe Lake
Where is Phoebe Lake?
- Phoebe Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Phoebe Lake?
- Phoebe Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 610.01 acres.
Is Phoebe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Phoebe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Phoebe Lake?
- Phoebe Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 610.01 acres.
What fish are in Phoebe Lake?
- Fish species found in Phoebe Lake include green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Phoebe Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Phoebe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Phoebe Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Phoebe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Phoebe Lake?
- Public access to Phoebe 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 Phoebe Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2022
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder