Star Lake
Cook County, Minnesota107 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Star Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Star Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 107.11 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Star Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–16 inches. DNR survey details →
Star Lake is a 107-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including northern pike, pumpkinseed, and walleye. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Star Lake covers about 110 acres in Cook County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Star Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Star Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Star Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Star 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 Star Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Star 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 4.9 ft. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | 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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Star Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Star Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–16 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Star Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-13 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2023-06-13 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 14.82 | 1–11 in 2023-06-13 | 0.21 lb |
| White Sucker | 9.20 | 2–20 in 2023-06-13 | 2.27 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.08 | 15 in 2023-06-13 | 1.14 lb |
| Walleye | 2.08 | 7–16 in 2023-06-13 | 1.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.50 | 1–4 in 2023-06-13 | 0.11 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
Northern Pike
Walleye
From the 2023-06-13 survey
Star lake is a 107-acre lake located 24 miles north of Lutsen. Public access is through a carry-in access located on the southwestern bay of the lake. Star Lake has been stocked with walleye fry regularly since 1985. Walleye abundance remains good in Star Lake and met the walleye management goal. Catch rates were down…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Star Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Star (1590)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
13 ft
Surface area
107 acres
Shoreline
4.6 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,824 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Star Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Star Lake in Cook 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 Star Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Star Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Star Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Star Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0405-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Star Lake
Where is Star Lake?
- Star Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Star Lake?
- Star Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 107.11 acres.
Is Star Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Star Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Star Lake?
- Star Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 107.11 acres.
What fish are in Star Lake?
- Fish species found in Star Lake include northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Star Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Star Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 13, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Star Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–16 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Star Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Star Lake?
- Public access to Star 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 Star Lake across LakeQuality
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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
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder