Round Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota2,860 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Round Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
Round Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 2860.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at Round Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Round Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Round Lake is a 2,860-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 24 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Round Lake ranks #72 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Round Lake covers about 2,900 acres in Itasca County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Round Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Round Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Big water2,860 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Round 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 Round Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Round Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 67 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 31.8 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 67µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 31.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Round Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 60 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (151,356 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
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 24, 2024 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at Round Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Round Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
24 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-24 (Targeted Survey).
24 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 202.14 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 26.83 | 4–11 in 2024-06-24 | 0.33 lb |
| White Sucker | 22.04 | 11–19 in 2024-06-24 | 2.14 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 10.36 | 10 in 2024-06-24 | 0.55 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 8.44 | 8–16 in 2024-06-24 | 0.94 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
White Sucker
Black Bullhead
Brown Bullhead
From the 2024-06-24 survey
Round Lake is located on the west side of Squaw Lake, MN. Round Lake has two public accesses and moderate shoreline development. Other area lakes with similar habitat having quality Walleye fisheries include Island, Moose, Jessie, and Split Hand. The 2020 lake management plan identifies Walleye as the primary species…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Round (0694)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
24 ft
Surface area
2,860 acres
Shoreline
10.7 mi
Littoral zone
69%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Round Lake (North)Public
- Round Lake (East)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round Lake in Itasca 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Round Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Round Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
Follow Round Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.84 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Apr 7, 2005 · Latest Apr 26, 2007
Most recent ice-out
Apr 26
2007
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
Where is Round Lake?
- Round 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 Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 67 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 2860.19 acres.
Is Round 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 Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 60 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Round Lake?
- Round Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The lake covers 2860.19 acres.
What fish are in Round Lake?
- Fish species found in Round Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Round Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at Round Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Round Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Round Lake thaw?
- Round Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17.
Does Round Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (151,356 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Round Lake?
- Round Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Round Lake (North), Round Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Round Lake?
- Round Lake has 2 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 Round Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
54 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 Water
MNPCA54 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 (2)
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate