Turtle River Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota1,740 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Turtle River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
Turtle River Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 1740.29 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 31, 2021 caught 4.27 walleye per gill net at Turtle River Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Turtle River Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Turtle River Lake is a 1,740-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 63 feet (20-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Turtle River Lake ranks #70 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Turtle River Lake covers about 1,700 acres in Beltrami County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 22, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Turtle River Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Turtle River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
- Deep water63 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,740 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Turtle River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Turtle River 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 River Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Turtle River Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Turtle River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 31, 2021 caught 4.27 walleye per gill net at Turtle River Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle River 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-10 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 23.84 | 4–9 in 2021-08-31 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.04 |
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.
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-08-10 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in three of the deepest basins on Turtle River Lake on August 10, 2023, to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profiles, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Turtle River Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Turtle RiverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Turtle River (1740)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Turtle RiverFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Turtle RiverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
63 ft
Average depth
20 ft
Surface area
1,740 acres
Shoreline
17.3 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
124 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,296 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Turtle River Lake (West)Public
- Turtle River Lake (North)Public
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 River Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turtle River Lake in Beltrami 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 River Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Turtle River Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Turtle River Lake
- → Turtle River Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Turtle River Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Turtle River Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Turtle River Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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+0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.3 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Mar 31, 2012 · Latest May 14, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 8, 2019 · Latest Dec 1, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 3
2024
23 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Turtle River 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 MN04-0111-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Turtle River Lake
Where is Turtle River Lake?
- Turtle River Lake is a lake in Beltrami 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 River Lake?
- Turtle River Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 1740.29 acres.
Is Turtle River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Turtle River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Turtle River Lake?
- Turtle River Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet and an average depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 1740.29 acres.
What fish are in Turtle River Lake?
- Fish species found in Turtle River Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, redhorse, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Turtle River Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Turtle River Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 31, 2021 caught 4.27 walleye per gill net at Turtle River Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle River 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 River Lake thaw?
- Turtle River Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 218 days.
Are there boat ramps on Turtle River Lake?
- Turtle River Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Turtle River Lake (West), Turtle River Lake (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Turtle River Lake?
- Turtle River Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 River Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Compare Turtle River Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
79 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA79 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 (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate