Turtle Lake
Todd County, Minnesota112 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Turtle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Turtle Lake in Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 112.44 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 7, 2025 caught 9.00 northern pike per gill net at Turtle Lake. DNR survey details →
Turtle Lake is a 112-acre lake in Todd County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 39 feet (20-foot average). The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Turtle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
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.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Turtle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Turtle Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 78°F) and coldest in Jul (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 79 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Turtle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 7, 2025 caught 9.00 northern pike 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-04-07 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-04-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 23.47 | 2–9 in 2025-04-07 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 10.93 | 5–12 in 2025-04-07 | 0.32 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 8.79 | 7–17 in 2025-04-07 | 0.94 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.42 | 8–20 in 2025-04-07 | 1.25 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
Black Crappie
Tullibee (Cisco)
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-04-07 survey
Turtle Lake (DOW# 77-0088-00; Lake Class 28) is a 112- acre lake located near Browerville, Minnesota. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned concrete boat ramp is located on the west shore. Turtle Lake has 2.19 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 39 feet. Turtle provides multiple angling…
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 (0883)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
39 ft
Average depth
20 ft
Surface area
112 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
30%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
77 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,247 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 Todd 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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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Turtle Lake
Nearby Lakes in Todd County
Frequently asked questions about Turtle Lake
Where is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake is a lake in Todd 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 Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 112.44 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 77°F at the surface in September, from 79 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet and an average depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 112.44 acres.
What fish are in Turtle Lake?
- Fish species found in Turtle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Turtle Lake is located in Todd County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Turtle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 7, 2025 caught 9.00 northern pike 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA9 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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