Pokegama Lake
Pokegama Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 112 ft. Surface area: 6721.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 16.1 ft
- Max depth
- 112 ft
- Area
- 6,721 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 27
Next lake in Itasca County
Pokegama Lake is a 6,721-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 112 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Pokegama Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-06. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 16.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Pokegama Lake
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Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pokegama Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (39,084 cells/mL) on November 29, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 112 ft |
| Surface Area | 6,721 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 57.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 29% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wood TickPublic
- LaPlant RoadPublic
- Kings LandingPublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pokegama 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.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 20.68 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.54 | 0.21 lb |
| CNM | 6.66 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.64 | 0.83 lb |
| RBS | 4.91 | 0.04 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 4.68 | 1.39 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Largemouth Bass
RBS
From the 2024-06-17 survey
Pokegama Lake is in ecological lake class 22 and is located just southwest of Grand Rapids, MN, in the Mississippi River Watershed. The lake is 6,721 acres and has a maximum depth of 112 feet. Area Fisheries staff conducted a targeted survey setting 15 trap nets on 16 June, 2024 and began nearshore fish species…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pokegama Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PokegamaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pokegama (0554)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pokegama (0556)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PokegamaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PokegamaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.159 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.15 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.28 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (70 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-27 (2012) | 2013-05-17 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2017-12-07 (2017) | 2017-12-07 (2017) |
Most recent ice-out: 2023-05-06
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pokegama Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pokegama Dam - Dikes 4 and 5 (completed 1884), built primarily for recreation on the MISSISSIPPI; concrete-type dam, 17 ft tall and 385 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 82,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 120,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 660 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USACE - St. Paul District
All listed purposes: Recreation;Navigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00584 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pokegama Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0532-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.63 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Pokegama Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 112 ft. Surface area: 6721.3 acres.
Is Pokegama Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Pokegama Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake has a maximum depth of 112 feet. The lake covers 6721.3 acres.
What fish are in Pokegama Lake?
- Fish species found in Pokegama Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow smelt, rock bass, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pokegama Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
When does Pokegama Lake thaw?
- Pokegama Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 27.
Does Pokegama Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pokegama Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (39,084 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wood Tick, LaPlant Road, Kings Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Pokegama Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
574 measurements from 12 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
MNPCA574 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (12)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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