Upper Trelipe Lake
Upper Trelipe Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 421.42 acres.
- Clarity
- 14 ft
- Typical in August
- 64°F
- Max depth
- 69 ft
- Area
- 421 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Cass County
Upper Trelipe Lake is a 421-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Upper Trelipe Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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)
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Upper Trelipe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Trelipe Lake in Cass 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.
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Water Temperature
Upper Trelipe Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 209 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Upper Trelipe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Trelipe Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (105,682 cells/mL) on November 16, 2025.
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 | 69 ft |
| Surface Area | 421 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 34% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Upper Trelipe LakePublic
- Laura LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Trelipe Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-21 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 14.61 | — |
| BCS | 13.49 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.90 | — |
| BNS | 10.80 | — |
| BKF | 10.28 | — |
| LED | 8.93 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
From the 2023-08-21 survey
Upper Trelipe Lake is a 421-acre lake with 4.16 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 69 feet located southwest of Remer, MN. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access is located on the west shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Trelipe Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper TrelipeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Trelipe (1569)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Upper TrelipeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Upper TrelipePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.058 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.23 µg/L/yr | 4 |
County Ranking
Ranked #21 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Trelipe Lake
What is the water quality grade for Upper Trelipe Lake?
- Upper Trelipe Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 421.42 acres.
Is Upper Trelipe Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Upper Trelipe Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Upper Trelipe Lake?
- Upper Trelipe Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August, from 209 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Upper Trelipe Lake?
- Upper Trelipe Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet. The lake covers 421.42 acres.
What fish are in Upper Trelipe Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Trelipe Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Upper Trelipe Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
Does Upper Trelipe Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Trelipe Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (105,682 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Trelipe Lake?
- Upper Trelipe Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Trelipe Lake, Laura Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Upper Trelipe Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
281 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
MNPCA281 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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory