Pokegama Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota6,721 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pokegama Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 112 ft max depth
- Public access
Pokegama Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 0.13 walleye per trap net at Pokegama Lake. DNR survey details →
Pokegama Lake is a 6,721-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 112 feet. 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 5 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pokegama Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 27
- Deep water112 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water6,721 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. Pokegama Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pokegama 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 Pokegama Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pokegama 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 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.3 µg/L. TSI 39.
| 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 | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.3µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pokegama 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 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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 0.13 walleye per trap net at Pokegama Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pokegama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-17 (Targeted Survey).
22 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 20.68 | 6–10 in 2024-06-17 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.54 | 3–9 in 2024-06-17 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.64 | 2 in 2023-10-09 | 0.83 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 4.68 | 10 in 2024-06-17 | 1.39 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
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
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
Lake Details
Max depth
112 ft
Surface area
6,721 acres
Shoreline
57.2 mi
Littoral zone
29%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Highway 17 BridgePublic
- Wood TickPublic
- LaPlant RoadPublic
- Kings LandingPublic
- Blackberry BridgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pokegama Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.15 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.28 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 27
Earliest Mar 27, 2012 · Latest May 17, 2013
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2023
70 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0532-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Pokegama Lake
Where is Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pokegama Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pokegama Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 0.13 walleye per trap net at Pokegama Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pokegama Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Highway 17 Bridge, Wood Tick, LaPlant Road, Kings Landing, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pokegama Lake?
- Pokegama Lake has 5 documented boat landings 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 Pokegama Lake across LakeQuality
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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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)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate