West Sturgeon Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota117 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Sturgeon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
West Sturgeon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 116.9 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at West Sturgeon Lake. DNR survey details →
West Sturgeon Lake is a 117-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 31 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, West Sturgeon Lake ranks #59 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What West Sturgeon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited 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. West Sturgeon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether West Sturgeon 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 West Sturgeon Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for West Sturgeon Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.7 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.7µg/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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about West Sturgeon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
West Sturgeon Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 54°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 55°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (55°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 110 field readings (2016–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Sturgeon Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at West Sturgeon Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Sturgeon Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 8.57 | 3–8 in 2016-06-20 | 0.11 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.04 | 9–15 in 2016-06-20 | 0.65 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.99 | 16–26 in 2016-06-20 | 1.81 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.95 | 5–7 in 2016-06-20 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.68 | 6–7 in 2016-06-20 | 0.21 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.23 | 17–18 in 2016-06-20 | 2.25 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
Tullibee (Cisco)
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2016-06-20 survey
West Sturgeon is a small, infertile lake located about 15 miles northwest of Chisholm, Minnesota. There is no public access on the lake but access can be attained from other lakes in the chain. Small, infertile lakes like West Sturgeon often do not have the ability to produce high quality fisheries and are vulnerable…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West Sturgeon Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West SturgeonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — West Sturgeon (0829)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West SturgeonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Surface area
117 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,371 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near West Sturgeon Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Sturgeon Lake
- → West Sturgeon Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → West Sturgeon Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → West Sturgeon Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from West Sturgeon Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Mar 31, 2000 · Latest May 6, 1996
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2006
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
West Sturgeon 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 MN69-0939-03 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about West Sturgeon Lake
Where is West Sturgeon Lake?
- West Sturgeon Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of West Sturgeon Lake?
- West Sturgeon Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 116.9 acres.
Is West Sturgeon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. West Sturgeon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of West Sturgeon Lake?
- West Sturgeon Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September, from 110 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Sturgeon Lake?
- West Sturgeon Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 116.9 acres.
What fish are in West Sturgeon Lake?
- Fish species found in West Sturgeon Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. West Sturgeon Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Sturgeon Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at West Sturgeon Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Sturgeon Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does West Sturgeon Lake thaw?
- West Sturgeon Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Can I fish at West Sturgeon Lake?
- Public access to West Sturgeon Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
15 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
MNPCA15 samples · 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate