Trout Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota1,743 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Trout Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 157 ft max depth
- Limited data
Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 0.53 walleye per gill net at Trout Lake. DNR survey details →
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. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Trout Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 26
- Deep water157 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,743 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Trout Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Trout 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 Trout Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Trout Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus 3.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.1 µg/L. TSI 30.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 3.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.1µg/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. | 30 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Trout Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Trout Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (73°F).
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 0.53 walleye per gill net at Trout Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Trout Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-15 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2022-08-15 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 16.16 | 6–15 in 2022-08-15 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.49 | 3–8 in 2015-08-17 | 0.13 lb |
| Rock Bass | 4.60 | 7–9 in 2017-09-11 | 0.28 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 3.11 | 3–7 in 2007-08-13 | 0.18 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.83 | 4–8 in 2015-08-17 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.58 | 6 in 2022-08-15 | 0.16 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
157 ft
Surface area
1,743 acres
Shoreline
13.3 mi
Littoral zone
22%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
29 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,319 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Trout Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 26
Earliest Apr 8, 2021 · Latest May 16, 1966
Typical ice-in
Dec 8
Earliest Nov 26, 1996 · Latest Jan 3, 1997
Most recent ice-out
May 10
2022
62 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0410-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Trout Lake
Where is Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Trout 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 Trout Lake?
- Trout Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Trout Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 0.53 walleye per gill net at Trout Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Trout Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Trout Lake?
- Public access to Trout 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
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)
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