Pug Hole Lake
Beltrami County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pug Hole Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- Limited data
Pug Hole Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L.
Pug Hole Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Pug Hole Lake ranks #58 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Pug Hole Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Pug Hole Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.7 ft of visibility
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pug Hole 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 Pug Hole Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pug Hole Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.7 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.7ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pug Hole Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pug Hole Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°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 (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 70 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pug Hole Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pug Hole Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Pug Hole Lake
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Fishing Pug Hole 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.03 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Pug Hole Lake
Where is Pug Hole Lake?
- Pug Hole 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 Pug Hole Lake?
- Pug Hole Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L.
Is Pug Hole Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pug Hole Lake?
- Pug Hole Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 70 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Pug Hole Lake?
- Public access to Pug Hole Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Pug Hole Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX24 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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.