Pike Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota488 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pike Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pike Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 488.26 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 15.33 walleye per gill net at Pike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–24 inches. DNR survey details →
Pike Lake is a 488-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet (26-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pike Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water60 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pike Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pike 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 Pike Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pike 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 18 ft down. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | 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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pike Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pike Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (25,823 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 15.33 walleye per gill net at Pike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–24 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-08-19 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2019-08-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 27.88 | 5–9 in 2019-08-19 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 13.00 | 5–18 in 2019-08-19 | 1.28 lb |
| Walleye | 7.66 | 9–24 in 2019-08-19 | 0.98 lb |
| White Sucker | 5.11 | 7–20 in 2019-08-19 | 2.39 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.38 | 3–8 in 2019-08-19 | 0.22 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.92 | 3–9 in 2019-08-19 | 0.23 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.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Walleye
White Sucker
From the 2019-08-19 survey
Pike is a 494 acre lake with 135 (27%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake is located just north of Hermantown, MN and has a township administered, concrete, back-in access located off County Road #13. Walleye fry have been stocked in even years from 1982 through 2018. Pike Lake was last…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pike Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PikeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pike (0448)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pike (0514)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PikeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PikePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Average depth
25.6 ft
Surface area
488 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
28%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,388 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pike 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 Pike Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pike Lake in St. Louis 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 Pike 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 Pike 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 Pike Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 25, 2012 · Latest May 15, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 14, 2002 · Latest Dec 11, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 23
2025
25 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pike Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0490-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Pike Lake
Where is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 488.26 acres.
Is Pike Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pike Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 25.6 feet. The lake covers 488.26 acres.
What fish are in Pike Lake?
- Fish species found in Pike Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Pike Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pike Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2019 caught 15.33 walleye per gill net at Pike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–24 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pike 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 Pike Lake thaw?
- Pike Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Does Pike Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pike Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (25,823 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pike Lake?
- Pike Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pike Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pike Lake?
- Pike 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.
Explore Pike Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Lake Vermilion Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Pike Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
136 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA136 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate