Pimushe Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota1,230 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pimushe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Pimushe Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 1230.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 3.85 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pimushe Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pimushe Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Pimushe Lake is a 1,230-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Pimushe Lake ranks #54 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pimushe Lake covers about 1,200 acres in Beltrami County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 22, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Pimushe Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Pimushe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,230 acres
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. Pimushe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pimushe 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 Pimushe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pimushe 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 8.2 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.2ft | 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) | 6.2µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pimushe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pimushe Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 120 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pimushe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 3.85 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pimushe Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pimushe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Shiner | 13.88 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.37 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 7.37 | 5–10 in 2022-07-18 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.87 | 2–9 in 2022-07-18 | 0.47 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
Bluegill
From the 2025-08-07 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Pimushe Lake, which is located partially within the Leech Lake Reservation, on August 7th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (oxythermal habitat) available to coldwater fish species such as Cisco,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pimushe Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PimusheFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pimushe (1739)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PimushePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
1,230 acres
Shoreline
17.1 mi
Littoral zone
53%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
67 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,306 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pimushe 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 Pimushe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pimushe Lake in Beltrami 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 Pimushe 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 Pimushe Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pimushe 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 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.9 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.92 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Mar 25, 2012 · Latest May 20, 2004
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 7, 2003 · Latest Dec 5, 2016
Most recent ice-out
May 1
2018
25 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pimushe 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 MN04-0032-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Pimushe Lake
Where is Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 1230.43 acres.
Is Pimushe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pimushe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 120 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 1230.43 acres.
What fish are in Pimushe Lake?
- Fish species found in Pimushe Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pimushe Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pimushe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 3.85 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pimushe Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pimushe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Pimushe Lake thaw?
- Pimushe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 213 days.
Are there boat ramps on Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pimushe Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pimushe Lake?
- Pimushe 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 Pimushe Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Compare Pimushe Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
81 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA57 samples · 2021–2025 - Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX24 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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
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