Swenson Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota412 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Swenson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 76 ft max depth
Swenson Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 411.77 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1993 caught 10.00 walleye per gill net at Swenson Lake. DNR survey details →
Swenson Lake is a 412-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 76 feet (31-foot average). Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Swenson Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swenson Lake covers about 410 acres in Beltrami County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Swenson Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Swenson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20.7 ft of visibility
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water76 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Swenson Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Swenson 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 Swenson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Swenson 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 20.7 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Swenson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Swenson Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Swenson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1993 caught 10.00 walleye per gill net at Swenson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Swenson 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1993-07-19 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1993-07-19 (Standard Survey)
33 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.38 | 3–9 in 1993-07-19 | 0.17 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 22.43 | 5–18 in 1993-07-19 | 0.73 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 18.14 | 1–10 in 1993-07-19 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.54 | 5–36 in 1993-07-19 | 2.91 lb |
| Rock Bass | 7.37 | 3–8 in 1993-07-19 | 0.21 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.44 | 3–7 in 1993-07-19 | 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
From the 1993-07-19 survey
The fish community of Swenson lake is diverse with most preferred species well represented. The exception to this is probably the apparent loss of a Smallmouth Bass fishery. One smallmouth was observed while scuba diving, though none were captured.The Walleye population is good with a history of consistant natural…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Swenson Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SwensonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SwensonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
76 ft
Average depth
31 ft
Surface area
412 acres
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,299 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Swenson Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swenson Lake in Beltrami 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 Swenson Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Swenson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.4 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.05 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Swenson Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0085-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Swenson Lake
Where is Swenson Lake?
- Swenson Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Swenson Lake?
- Swenson Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 411.77 acres.
Is Swenson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Swenson Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Swenson Lake?
- Swenson Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Swenson Lake?
- Swenson Lake has a maximum depth of 76 feet and an average depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 411.77 acres.
What fish are in Swenson Lake?
- Fish species found in Swenson Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Swenson Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Swenson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1993 caught 10.00 walleye per gill net at Swenson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Swenson 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.
Can I fish at Swenson Lake?
- Public access to Swenson Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Swenson Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
80 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
MNPCA80 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder