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LakeQuality

Rose Lake

NR
Not yet rated
14.6 ft clear · Oligotrophic · 477 acres
Limited DataOligotrophic

Rose Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 14.6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 130 ft. Surface area: 476.95 acres.

Clarity
14.6 ft
Max depth
130 ft
Area
477 acres
Trend
Declining
Public access
No

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ABearskin Lake21 ft clear · Cook CountyView →
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Why Rose Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Rose Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Rose Lake is a 477-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 130 feet (47-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including cisco species, green sunfish, and lake trout. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-01. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Ely

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Water quality measurements for Rose Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

Good clarity, visible to about 14.6 ft. Trophic State Index: 38.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)14.6 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)38Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay near Rose Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rose Lake in Cook County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Rose Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth130 ft
Average Depth46.8 ft
Surface Area477 acres
Shoreline Length7.6 mi
Littoral Zone31%
Public AccessNo

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
152 sq mi
Elevation
1,519 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Rose Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-11 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Tullibee (Cisco)12.040.74 lb
CIS11.750.78 lb
Green Sunfish3.400.11 lb
White Sucker3.332.41 lb
Yellow Perch3.250.31 lb
Lake Trout2.052.52 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.

Tullibee (Cisco)

110 fish · 817 in · 2001-08-06
42210891011121314151617

CIS

146 fish · 815 in · 2018-09-10
7337089101112131415

Green Sunfish

1 fish · 55 in · 2018-09-10
105

White Sucker

9 fish · 1421 in · 2018-09-10
4201415161718192021

From the 2025-08-11 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Duncan Lake on August 11th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also known…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rose Lake. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.213 m/yr3

Graded lakes near Rose Lake

Rose Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Cook County

Frequently asked questions about Rose Lake

What is the water quality grade for Rose Lake?

Rose Lake in Cook County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 14.6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 130 ft. Surface area: 476.95 acres.

Is Rose Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Rose Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Rose Lake?

Rose Lake has a maximum depth of 130 feet and an average depth of 46.8 feet. The lake covers 476.95 acres.

What fish are in Rose Lake?

Fish species found in Rose Lake include cisco species, green sunfish, lake trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker. Rose Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Where this data comes from

5 measurements from 2 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 WaterMNPCA5 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder