Steamboat Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota60 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Steamboat Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Steamboat Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 59.52 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 3.33 northern pike per gill net at Steamboat Lake. DNR survey details →
Steamboat Lake is a 60-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Steamboat 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 Steamboat Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Steamboat Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | 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. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Steamboat Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 3.33 northern pike per gill net at Steamboat Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Steamboat Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 20.50 | 0.14 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 11.38 | 0.43 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.17 | 1.93 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 1.43 | 0.16 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.43 | 0.17 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 0.43 | 0.33 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.
From the 1990-08-08 survey
The gill net index for northern pike was below the lake class 36 first quartile. The trap net indices for yellow bullhead, pumpkinseed, bluegill, and black crappie were below the lake class 36 first quartiles. The trap net index for brb was above the lake class 36 third quartile. Northern pike sampled (16 of 16 aged)…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Steamboat Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SteamboatFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Surface area
60 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
120 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,214 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Steamboat Lake
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Fishing Steamboat Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
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Frequently asked questions about Steamboat Lake
Where is Steamboat Lake?
- Steamboat Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Steamboat Lake?
- Steamboat Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 59.52 acres.
Is Steamboat Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Steamboat Lake?
- Steamboat Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 59.52 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Steamboat Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 3.33 northern pike per gill net at Steamboat Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Steamboat Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Steamboat Lake?
- Public access to Steamboat 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
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA3 samples · 2023
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