St James Pit Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota124 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for St James Pit Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 381 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
St James Pit Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 47.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 381 ft. Surface area: 124.18 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at St James Pit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 23–23 inches. DNR survey details →
St James Pit Lake is a 124-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 381 feet (115-foot average). The lake supports 5 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and rainbow trout. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What St James Pit Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water47.6 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water381 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether St James Pit 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 St James Pit Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for St James Pit Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 47.6 ft down. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 29.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 47.6ft | 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) | 2µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 29 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about St James Pit Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
St James Pit Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 50°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 53°F) and coldest in Aug (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 (53°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full St James Pit Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at St James Pit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 23–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows St James Pit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-22 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2024-05-22 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 3.52 | 11–20 in 2024-05-22 | 1.26 lb |
| Rainbow Trout | 1.50 | 8–19 in 2024-05-22 | 0.68 lb |
| Walleye | 1.00 | 23 in 2024-05-22 | 3.58 lb |
| Lake Trout | 0.50 | 0.5 lb | |
| Brook Trout | 0.33 | 10–12 in 1995-06-05 | 0.46 lb |
| Bluegill | 0.25 | 7 in 2024-05-22 | 0.21 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.
White Sucker
Rainbow Trout
Walleye
Brook Trout
From the 2024-05-22 survey
St. James Pit is a former mine pit now managed for stream trout; however, it is not a designated trout lake. A trout stamp is required to harvest trout from St. James Pit. The main access is a concrete ramp along the southeast shore just north of the town of Aurora. This 100-acre lake has a maximum depth of 381 feet…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for St James Pit Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — St James PitFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — St James PitFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — St James PitPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
381 ft
Average depth
114.7 ft
Surface area
124 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
7%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,440 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near St James Pit Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing St James Pit Lake
- → St James Pit Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → St James Pit Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → St James Pit Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from St James Pit Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of St James Pit Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Aurora WwtpAurora · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MN0020494Recent 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 St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about St James Pit Lake
Where is St James Pit Lake?
- St James Pit 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 St James Pit Lake?
- St James Pit Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 47.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 381 ft. Surface area: 124.18 acres.
Is St James Pit 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 St James Pit Lake?
- St James Pit Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in September, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is St James Pit Lake?
- St James Pit Lake has a maximum depth of 381 feet and an average depth of 114.7 feet. The lake covers 124.18 acres.
What fish are in St James Pit Lake?
- Fish species found in St James Pit Lake include black crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, walleye, white sucker. St James Pit Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at St James Pit Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on May 22, 2024 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at St James Pit Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 23–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows St James Pit Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at St James Pit Lake?
- Public access to St James Pit 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.
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA6 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder