Spring Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota98 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spring Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spring Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 98.44 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2008 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Spring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Spring Lake is a 98-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Spring Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spring 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 Spring Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spring 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 9.5 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spring Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spring Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spring Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2008 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Spring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spring Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2008-08-18 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2008-08-18 (Standard Survey)
18 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 86.26 | 4–8 in 2008-08-18 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.56 | 6–10 in 2008-08-18 | 0.16 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.27 | 7–21 in 2008-08-18 | 2.31 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.89 | 3–7 in 2008-08-18 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.10 | 6–26 in 2008-08-18 | 1.78 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
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
Pumpkinseed
From the 2008-08-18 survey
Spring is a 97-acre lake with 93 acres (96%) of littoral area and a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake is located 15 miles northeast of Duluth off highway #44 and has a concrete, back-in access. Parking at the access is very limited. Walleye fingerlings, yearlings or adults have been stocked in odd years since 1999.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spring Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spring (0492)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
98 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
95%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,404 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spring LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spring Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spring Lake in St. Louis 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 Spring Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spring Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Spring Lake
Where is Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 98.44 acres.
Is Spring 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 Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 98.44 acres.
What fish are in Spring Lake?
- Fish species found in Spring Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Spring Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spring Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 18, 2008 caught 4.50 northern pike per gill net at Spring Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spring Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spring Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spring Lake?
- Spring Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Spring Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory