Tin Can Mike Lake
Lake County, Minnesota145 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tin Can Mike Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Limited data
Tin Can Mike Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 145.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2016 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Tin Can Mike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Tin Can Mike Lake is a 145-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including bluegill, largemouth bass, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-05-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Tin Can Mike Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tin Can Mike 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 Tin Can Mike Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tin Can Mike Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Tin Can Mike Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2016 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Tin Can Mike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tin Can Mike 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-08-15 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2016-08-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 14.29 | 3–6 in 2016-08-15 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 11.29 | 11–28 in 2016-08-15 | 1.75 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.00 | 5–9 in 2016-08-15 | 0.13 lb |
| Walleye | 2.42 | 9–23 in 2016-08-15 | 1.92 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.00 | 3–6 in 2016-08-15 | 0.14 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.75 | 2.08 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
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2016-08-15 survey
Tin Can Mike Lake is located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) within the Superior National Forest and is a non-motorized lake. It is approximately 11 miles northeast of Ely. There are two portage accesses to the lake consisting of a 130 rod portage from Sandpit Lake and a 90 rod portage from…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tin Can Mike Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Tin Can MikeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
145 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,302 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tin Can Mike Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Tin Can Mike Lake
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Follow Tin Can Mike Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Tin Can Mike Lake
- → Tin Can Mike Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Tin Can Mike Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Tin Can Mike Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Tin Can Mike Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Tin Can Mike Lake
Where is Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Tin Can Mike 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 Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Tin Can Mike Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 145.05 acres.
Is Tin Can Mike Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Tin Can Mike Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 145.05 acres.
What fish are in Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Fish species found in Tin Can Mike Lake include bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch. Tin Can Mike Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2016 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Tin Can Mike Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tin Can Mike 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.
Can I fish at Tin Can Mike Lake?
- Public access to Tin Can Mike 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.
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 7 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (7)
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