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LakeQuality

Waboose Lake

Hubbard County, Minnesota175 acresView mapDirections

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Waboose Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
16.8 ft
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2023
Phosphorus
10 µg/L
Less phosphorus than most
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Chlorophyll-a
6.1 µg/L
Typical for Minnesota
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Water temp
~64°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Max depth
32 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
175 acres
Surface area
  • Mesotrophic
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • 32 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Waboose Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 175.23 acres.

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Waboose Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–34 inches. DNR survey details →

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Waboose Lake is a 175-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Waboose Lake ranks #58 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-07-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Waboose Lake covers about 180 acres in Hubbard County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Waboose Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.

What Waboose Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water16.8 ft of visibility
  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Fishing6 species recorded
  • Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited 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. Waboose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Waboose 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.

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Water quality measurements for Waboose Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Waboose 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 16.8 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 41.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)16.8ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus10µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)6.1µg/LMeasured, not scored

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.41Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Waboose Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Waboose Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
62°
May
66°
Jun
70°
Jul
71°
Aug
64°
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (71°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (2021–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Waboose Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Waboose Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–34 inches.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Waboose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2024-08-26 (Standard Survey).

11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-26 (Standard Survey)

SpeciesCatch rate (CPUE)SizeAvg weight
Yellow Perch
17.02
5–7 in
2024-08-26
0.13 lb
Largemouth Bass
15.97
4–19 in
2024-08-26
0.97 lb
Bluegill
8.82
3–7 in
2024-08-26
0.12 lb
White Sucker
5.96
6–20 in
2004-09-07
1.81 lb
Black Crappie
5.18
4–10 in
2024-08-26
0.28 lb
Northern Pike
4.91
10–34 in
2024-08-26
2.53 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.

Yellow Perch

12 fish · 5–7 in · 2024-08-26
840567

Largemouth Bass

8 fish · 4–19 in · 2024-08-26
420trophy 20″4681012141618

Bluegill

74 fish · 3–7 in · 2024-08-26
3719034567

White Sucker

6 fish · 6–20 in · 2004-09-07
21068101214161820

From the 2024-08-26 survey

Waboose Lake is located in southern Hubbard County, 6.5 miles north of Nevis. Waboose Lake has a surface area of 175 acres and a maximum depth of 32 feet. Waboose is a relatively shallow lake with over 80% of the lake area less than 15 feet deep. The shoreline of Waboose is undeveloped, as the lake lies entirely…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Waboose Lake. 4 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

Max depth

32 ft

Surface area

175 acres

Shoreline

5.3 mi

Littoral zone

81%

Share shallower than 15 ft

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

5 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,437 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Waboose 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 Waboose Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Waboose Lake in Hubbard 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 Waboose 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 →

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Waboose Lake

2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.

  • Water clarity

    Stable

    2 years

EPA Impairment Status

Waboose Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0098-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County

Frequently asked questions about Waboose Lake

Where is Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 175.23 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Waboose Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Waboose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

What is the water temperature of Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Temp on this page ↑

How deep is Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake covers 175.23 acres.

What fish are in Waboose Lake?

Fish species found in Waboose Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. Waboose Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Waboose Lake?

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 7.50 northern pike per gill net at Waboose Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–34 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Waboose Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR on this page ↑

Are there boat ramps on Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Waboose Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Waboose Lake?

Waboose 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.

Access on this page ↑

State Parks Near Waboose Lake

Where this data comes from

17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA17 samples · 2021–2023

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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

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