Three Lake
Lake County, Minnesota904 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Three Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 37 ft max depth
- Limited data
Three Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 904.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 2017 caught 4.89 walleye per gill net at Three Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Three Lake is a 904-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bluegill, burbot, and cisco species. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Three Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Three Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Three 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 Three Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Three 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 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Three Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 2017 caught 4.89 walleye per gill net at Three Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Three Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-18 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 6.95 | 4–25 in 2017-06-19 | 0.72 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.89 | 8–21 in 2017-06-19 | 1.75 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.56 | 14–39 in 2017-06-19 | 2.53 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 1.50 | 0.23 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.
Walleye
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2025-08-18 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Three Lake on August 18th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Three Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ThreeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Surface area
904 acres
Shoreline
19 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Three Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Three Lake in Lake 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 Three 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 →
Follow Three Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Three Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Three 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.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0600-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Three Lake
Where is Three Lake?
- Three Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Three Lake?
- Three Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 904.07 acres.
Is Three Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Three Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Three Lake?
- Three Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 904.07 acres.
What fish are in Three Lake?
- Fish species found in Three Lake include bluegill, burbot, cisco species, lake whitefish, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Three Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Three Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 19, 2017 caught 4.89 walleye per gill net at Three Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Three Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Three Lake?
- Public access to Three 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 Three 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 Lake 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
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder