Tait Lake
Cook County, Minnesota355 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tait Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
Tait Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 355.09 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2022 caught 6.00 walleye per gill net at Tait Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. DNR survey details →
Tait Lake is a 355-acre mesotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including bluegill, northern pike, and pumpkinseed. Public access is available. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Tait Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Tait Lake covers about 360 acres in Cook County. The median ice-out date is May 4, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Tait Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Tait Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 4
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. Tait Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tait 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 Tait Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tait Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.3µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Tait Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Tait Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in Oct (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 230 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Tait Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2022 caught 6.00 walleye per gill net at Tait Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tait Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-24 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-24 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 152.35 | 1–8 in 2022-07-24 | 0.22 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.89 | ||
| Walleye | 4.57 | 6–27 in 2022-07-24 | 1.14 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.34 | 6–19 in 2022-07-24 | 2.36 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.58 | 1–6 in 2022-07-24 | 0.05 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
Walleye
White Sucker
Pumpkinseed
From the 2022-07-24 survey
Tait Lake is located about twelve miles north of the Town of Lutsen and is accessible via a US Forest Service administered boat launch located on the west end of the lake. The lake has been part of the MNDNR Sentinel Lakes program since 2009, which resulted in high frequency lake surveys through 2017 to provide…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tait Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TaitFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Tait (1560)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — TaitPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
355 acres
Shoreline
6.6 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,768 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tait Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tait 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 Tait Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Tait Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.63 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.28 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 4
Earliest Mar 28, 2012 · Latest May 17, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 18
Earliest Nov 9, 2014 · Latest Dec 5, 2009
Most recent ice-out
May 14
2022
28 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Tait 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 MN16-0384-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Tait Lake
Where is Tait Lake?
- Tait 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 Tait Lake?
- Tait Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 355.09 acres.
Is Tait Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tait 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 Tait Lake?
- Tait Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 230 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Tait Lake?
- Tait Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 355.09 acres.
What fish are in Tait Lake?
- Fish species found in Tait Lake include bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Tait Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tait Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 24, 2022 caught 6.00 walleye per gill net at Tait Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–27 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tait Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Tait Lake thaw?
- Tait Lake typically has ice-out around May 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 18. The open water season is approximately 198 days.
Can I fish at Tait Lake?
- Public access to Tait 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 Tait Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Tait Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
85 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
MNPCA85 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate