Pokegama Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Pokegama Lake pulls an A: clarity at 17.5 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Minnesota.

A TSI value of 36 puts Pokegama Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. At 112 ft of maximum depth, Pokegama Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. With 6,721 acres of surface and 57.2 miles of shoreline, Pokegama Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Among the 141 graded lakes in Itasca County, Pokegama Lake ranks 31 — in the top quartile locally.

Pokegama Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Muskie are on the species list at Pokegama Lake, among the lake's 19 documented fish. A documented public access point at Pokegama Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 69 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 27. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.