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LakeQuality

Waboose Lake

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #58 of 68 lakes in the county · 16.8 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 175 acres · from A
Limited DataMesotrophic

Waboose Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). 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.

Clarity
16.8 ft
Typical in August
71°F
Max depth
32 ft
Area
175 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Trend
Stable
Public access
Yes

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ACrooked Lake19 ft clear · Hubbard CountyView →
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Waboose Lake is a 175-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2023. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

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.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Park Rapids

Get alerts for Waboose Lake

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Crystal clear, you can see 16.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 6.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)16.8 ftNot graded
Phosphorus10 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)6.1 µg/LNot graded
Trophic State Index (TSI)41Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay 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

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 →

Water Temperature

Waboose Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. 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
May
62°
Jun
66°
Jul
70°
Aug
71°
Sep
64°
Oct
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (20212023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Waboose Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth32 ft
Surface Area175 acres
Shoreline Length5.3 mi
Littoral Zone81%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
Elevation
1,437 ft

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

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Waboose LakePublic

Fish Species

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

Fishing Waboose Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-26 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Yellow Perch17.020.13 lb
Largemouth Bass15.970.97 lb
Bluegill8.820.12 lb
White Sucker5.961.81 lb
Black Crappie5.180.28 lb
Northern Pike4.912.53 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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 · 57 in · 2024-08-26
840567

Largemouth Bass

8 fish · 419 in · 2024-08-26
420trophy 204681012141618

Bluegill

74 fish · 37 in · 2024-08-26
3719034567

White Sucker

6 fish · 620 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).

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.03 m/yr2

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

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

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

County Ranking

Ranked #58 of 68 lakes in Hubbard County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Waboose Lake holds Grade B. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County

Frequently asked questions about Waboose Lake

What is the water quality grade for Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). 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.

Is Waboose Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Waboose Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 6.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Waboose Lake?

Waboose Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

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.

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.

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)

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

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