Trout Lake
Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 3.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 157 ft. Surface area: 1743.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 18 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 157 ft
- Area
- 1,743 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 26
- Open water
- 226 days
Next lake in Itasca County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Trout Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 150 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Trout Lake is a 1,743-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 157 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including lake trout, largemouth bass, and northern pike. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Trout Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-05. 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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus level: 3.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 30.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 3.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 30 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Trout Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Trout Lake in Itasca 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 Trout Lake
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Water Temperature
Trout Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Jun (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2022–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Trout Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (28,840 cells/mL) on May 2, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 157 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,743 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 13.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 22% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Trout Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-15 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 16.16 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.49 | 0.13 lb |
| Rock Bass | 4.60 | 0.28 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 3.11 | 0.18 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.83 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.58 | 0.16 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Green Sunfish
From the 2022-08-15 survey
Trout Lake is located about 15 miles north of Grand Rapids in the Chippewa National Forest. Fish production is limited due to low fertility associated with oligotrophic conditions. Early records indicate Lake Trout were a large component of the fishery and has been a primary management species since 1975. Management…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Trout Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TroutFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Trout (0620)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — TroutFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.107 m/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (62 observations).
Estimated open water season: 226 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-08 (2021) | 1966-05-16 (1966) |
| Ice-In | 1996-11-26 (1996) | 1997-01-03 (1997) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-05-10
EPA Impairment Status
Trout 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 MN31-0410-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Trout Lake
What is the water quality grade for Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 3.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 157 ft. Surface area: 1743.4 acres.
Is Trout Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Trout Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake has a maximum depth of 157 feet. The lake covers 1743.4 acres.
What fish are in Trout Lake?
- Fish species found in Trout Lake include lake trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Trout Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
When does Trout Lake thaw?
- Trout Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26. Ice typically forms around Dec 8. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Does Trout Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Trout Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (28,840 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Trout Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
216 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA216 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate