Schoolhouse Lake
Itasca County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Schoolhouse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Schoolhouse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L.
Schoolhouse Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Schoolhouse Lake ranks #37 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-10-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Schoolhouse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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 Schoolhouse 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 Schoolhouse Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Schoolhouse 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 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/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 Schoolhouse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Schoolhouse Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 78°F) and coldest in Oct (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 166 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Schoolhouse Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~43 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Schoolhouse Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
62 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,296 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Schoolhouse Lake
- Winnie Dam Campground - USACE2.2 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Schoolhouse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Schoolhouse 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Schoolhouse Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Schoolhouse Lake
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Schoolhouse Lake
Where is Schoolhouse Lake?
- Schoolhouse 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 Schoolhouse Lake?
- Schoolhouse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L.
Is Schoolhouse 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 Schoolhouse Lake?
- Schoolhouse Lake typically sits around 47°F at the surface in October, from 166 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Schoolhouse Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Schoolhouse Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Can I fish at Schoolhouse Lake?
- Public access to Schoolhouse 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.
Are there campgrounds on Schoolhouse Lake?
- Schoolhouse Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Winnie Dam Campground - USACE. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Schoolhouse Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
65 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX65 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles