Turtle Lake
Becker County, Minnesota196 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Turtle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
Turtle Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 23 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 196.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2020 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Turtle Lake. DNR survey details →
Turtle Lake is a 196-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Turtle Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Turtle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water23 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Turtle 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 Turtle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Turtle 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 23 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.9 µg/L. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 23ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.9µg/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. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Turtle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Turtle Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Sep (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 111 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Turtle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2020 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Turtle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-06-29 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2020-06-29 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 35.76 | 2–9 in 2020-06-29 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 20.81 | 6–11 in 2014-06-23 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Crappie | 12.11 | 4–11 in 2020-06-29 | 0.51 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 9.88 | 3–9 in 2020-06-29 | 0.26 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 9.29 |
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
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2020-06-29 survey
Turtle Lake is a 196-acre lake located in western Becker County. The lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and receives significant recreational use and angling pressure. Lake survey assessments are completed periodically on Turtle Lake to highlight and track changes in species presence and abundance over time.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Turtle Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — TurtleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Turtle (1018)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — TurtleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — TurtlePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
196 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Turtle LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Turtle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turtle Lake in Becker 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 Turtle Lake
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Follow Turtle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Turtle Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.15 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Apr 9, 1987 · Latest May 6, 1979
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 10, 1997 · Latest Dec 20, 2002
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2015
64 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Turtle Lake
Where is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 23 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 196.39 acres.
Is Turtle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 111 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 196.39 acres.
What fish are in Turtle Lake?
- Fish species found in Turtle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Turtle Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Turtle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2020 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Turtle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Turtle Lake thaw?
- Turtle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Are there boat ramps on Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Turtle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Turtle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
250 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA250 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate