Where is Sargent Lake?

Sargent Lake is a lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Sargent Lake?

Sargent Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 137.54 acres.

Can I fish at Sargent Lake?

Public access to Sargent Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.

Sargent Lake

Mahnomen County, Minnesota138 acresView map Directions

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sargent Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

8.9 ft

Typical for Minnesota

Secchi · sampled 2024

Phosphorus

16 µg/L

Typical for Minnesota

Measured by Minnesota PCA

Chlorophyll-a

6.1 µg/L

Typical for Minnesota

Measured by Minnesota PCA

Max depth

15 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

138 acres

Surface area

Type

Mesotrophic

Trophic class

Mesotrophic
zebra mussel
15 ft max depth
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Sargent Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 137.54 acres.

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Sargent Lake. DNR survey details →

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Sargent Lake is a 138-acre mesotrophic lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Mahnomen County, Sargent Lake ranks #5 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Sargent Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Fishing12 species recorded

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited 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 Sargent 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.

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Water quality measurements for Sargent Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sargent Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 46.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	8.9ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	16µg/L	Good GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)	6.1µg/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.	46	Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Sargent Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Sargent Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sargent Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).

7 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey)

Species	Catch rate (CPUE)	Size	Avg weight
Black Bullhead	49.66	4–9 in 2025-07-28	0.28 lb
Brown Bullhead	18.04	10 in 2025-07-28	0.35 lb
Yellow Perch	15.22	5–12 in 2025-07-28	0.25 lb
Bluegill	6.76	3–9 in 2025-07-28	0.35 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.

Black Bullhead

92 fish · 4–9 in · 2025-07-28

Brown Bullhead

1 fish · 10–10 in · 2025-07-28

Yellow Perch

179 fish · 5–12 in · 2025-07-28

Bluegill

152 fish · 3–9 in · 2025-07-28

From the 2025-07-28 survey

Sargent Lake is a small, shallow lake located within the White Earth Indian Reservation, approximately 3 miles west of Naytahwaush, MN. A DNR-owned public access exists on the west side of the lake, but there are no docks or concrete planks. Winterkill or partial winterkill has occurred in severe winters in Sargent…

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 Sargent Lake. 3 reports on file.

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

—
Fisheries Lake Survey — Sargent
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
—
Aquatic Plant Report — Sargent (1951)
Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
—
Public Water Access Sites — Sargent
Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder

Lake Details

Max depth

15 ft

Surface area

138 acres

Shoreline

3.6 mi

Littoral zone

100%

Share shallower than 15 ft

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

50 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,430 ft

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

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Sargent Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sargent Lake in Mahnomen 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 Sargent Lake

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Follow Sargent Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

black bullhead black crappie bluegill brown bullhead hybrid sunfish largemouth bass northern pike pumpkinseed walleye white sucker yellow bullhead yellow perch

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

Fishing Sargent 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.

zebra mussel

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sargent Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

Chippewa Ranch Wwsl
Mahnomen · 3.8 mi away · NPDES MN0059404
Recent violation

Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.

Nearby Lakes in Mahnomen County

Rice Lake—View →Hart Lake—View →Barney Lakes—View →Lizzard Lake—View →Unnamed Lake3.3 ft clear—View →North Twin Lake8.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →

Frequently asked questions about Sargent Lake

Where is Sargent Lake?: Sargent Lake is a lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sargent Lake?: Sargent Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 137.54 acres.
Is Sargent Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sargent Lake?: Sargent Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 137.54 acres.
What fish are in Sargent Lake?: Fish species found in Sargent Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sargent Lake is located in Mahnomen County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sargent Lake?: Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Sargent Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sargent Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Sargent Lake?: Public access to Sargent Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Sargent Lake across LakeQuality

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State Parks Near Sargent Lake

Itasca State Park

State Park · 22.6 mi

La Salle Lake State Recreation Area

State Recreation Area · 25 mi

Other Lakes in Minnesota

Schantzen Lake

Clearwater County · 16.1 ft

White Earth Lake

Becker County · 15 ft

Fish Hook Lake

Becker County · 9.5 ft

Little Bass Lake

Becker County · 7.9 ft

Jackson Lake

Clearwater County · 8.9 ft

Island Lake

Clearwater County · 14.1 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Bass Lake Little Bass Lake Fish Hook Lake Little Bass Lake

Where this data comes from

28 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)WEARTH_WQX28 samples · 2024

Analytical methods

Field measurement/observation, generic method
Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Turbidity by Nephelometry

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.