Pine Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota450 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pine Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 450.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2017 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Pine Lake is a 450-acre mesotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including bluegill, hybrid sunfish, and northern pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Pine Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
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. Pine Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pine 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 Pine Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pine 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. Phosphorus 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 45.
| 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 | 15.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pine Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2017 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2017-06-26 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2017-06-26 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 16.92 | 1–8 in 2017-06-26 | 0.26 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.68 | 5–9 in 2017-06-26 | 0.21 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.05 | 4–7 in 2017-06-26 | 0.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.61 | 10–42 in 2017-06-26 | 1.94 lb |
| Walleye | 3.18 | 6–27 in 2017-06-26 | 1.88 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.16 | 7–22 in 2017-06-26 | 2.83 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
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2017-06-26 survey
Pine Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 16, which consists of 38 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are large, shallow, and have bog-stained and soft (unmineralized) water. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are 30% sand, 30% gravel, 20% boulder, 17% rubble, and 3% muck. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 4 ft;…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pine Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pine (1095)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
450 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,696 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pine Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Pine Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pine Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Pine 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 MN69-0001-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake
Where is Pine Lake?
- Pine 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 Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 450.07 acres.
Is Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pine 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 Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 450.07 acres.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Pine Lake include bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Pine Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 26, 2017 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at Pine Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Pine Lake?
- Public access to Pine 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
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder