Pickerel Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota143 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickerel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pickerel Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 143.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake. DNR survey details →
Pickerel Lake is a 143-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet (17-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Clearwater County, Pickerel Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-06-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pickerel Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.1 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pickerel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-08 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-08 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 41.79 | 3–8 in 2024-07-08 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 33.02 | 5–12 in 2024-07-08 | 0.14 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 22.61 | 3–8 in 2024-07-08 | 0.22 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.26 | 5–18 in 2024-07-08 | 0.67 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.97 | 4–9 in 2024-07-08 | 0.29 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.79 | 3–7 in 1994-06-27 | 0.14 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
Yellow Perch
Hybrid Sunfish
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-08 survey
Pickerel Lake is a 143-acre, lightly developed natural lake located in southern Clearwater County, approximately 25 miles northwest of Park Rapids, MN. Pickerel has a water clarity of 15 feet, a maximum depth of 60 feet, and no inlets or outlets. A small state-owned public water access is located on the southeastern…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pickerel Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PickerelFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pickerel (1201)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PickerelPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Average depth
17 ft
Surface area
143 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,601 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Pickerel Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pickerel Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 143.43 acres.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 143.43 acres.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
- Fish species found in Pickerel Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pickerel Lake is located in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pickerel Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 2024 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Pickerel Lake?
- Public access to Pickerel Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
20 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX20 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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