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C

Strup Lake

Lake County, MinnesotaLimited DataMesotrophic

Strup Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade.

A TSI near 44 places Strup Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's 195 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 1,689 acres, Strup Lake is one of the larger lakes in Lake County, with 22.9 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Strup Lake sits at rank 104 of 142 in Lake County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Strup Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery is bass-led, with 5 documented species across the lake's records. No formal public access is documented at Strup Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-07-08. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.7 ft. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)9.7 ftC
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth195 ft
Surface Area1.7K acres
Shoreline Length22.9 mi
Littoral Zone6%
Public AccessNo

Fish Species

lake trout,rock bass,smallmouth bass,white sucker,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Strup Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Strup Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Strup Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.793 m/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #104 of 142 lakes in Lake County

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-09-18 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Rock Bass12.500.13 lb
Lake Trout5.031.73 lb
Yellow Perch2.830.11 lb
White Sucker1.772.65 lb
DWS0.75
SMS0.38

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

Rock Bass

75 fish · 48 in · 2017-09-18
4925045678

Lake Trout

53 fish · 1019 in · 2017-09-18
189010111213141516171819

Yellow Perch

17 fish · 57 in · 2017-09-18
950567

White Sucker

20 fish · 1422 in · 2017-09-18
530141516171819202122

From the 2017-09-18 survey

Kekekabic Lake is located approximately 31 miles NE of Ely in the BWCAW. This scenic lake has high cliffs and steep shorelines with good water clarity. There are several access options for visitors. All of these options include portages to access Kekekabic Lake and most visitors should allow more than one day to…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Strup Lake. 1 report on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Strup Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0226-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.66 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Most recent sample: 2023-07-08

Monitoring stations: 6