Titlow Lake
Titlow Lake in Sibley County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 343 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 118 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Titlow Lake →
Next lake in Sibley County
Titlow Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sibley County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and common carp. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Sibley County, Titlow Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 0.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 343 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 118 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 86.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 343 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 118 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 86 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Titlow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Titlow Lake in Sibley 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Titlow Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Titlow Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Titlow Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in Sep (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 8 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Titlow Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Titlow Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Titlow LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Titlow Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Titlow Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Titlow Lake (completed 1920), built primarily for recreation on the Rush River; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 45 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 2,772 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 54.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Gaylord
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00105 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Titlow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN72-0042-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Titlow Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Gaylord/Milton G. Waldbaum CoGaylord · 1 mi away · NPDES MN0060798
- GaylordGaylord · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MN0051209
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Sibley County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Titlow Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Sibley County
Frequently asked questions about Titlow Lake
What is the water quality grade for Titlow Lake?
- Titlow Lake in Sibley County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 343 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 118 µg/L.
Is Titlow Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Titlow Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 118 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Titlow Lake?
- Titlow Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 8 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Titlow Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Titlow Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 46 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Titlow Lake?
- Fish species found in Titlow Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, northern pike, shortnose gar, smallmouth buffalo, white sucker. Titlow Lake is located in Sibley County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Titlow Lake?
- Titlow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Titlow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Titlow Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA12 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory