Baby Lake
Baby Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 737.32 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 58°F
- Max depth
- 69 ft
- Area
- 737 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 20
- Open water
- 223 days
Next lake in Cass County
Baby Lake is a 737-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet (31-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Baby Lake ranks #26 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. 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 12.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Baby Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Baby 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
Baby Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 69°F) and coldest in Aug (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 109 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Baby Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Baby Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL) on April 19, 2026.
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 |
| Average Depth | 31 ft |
| Surface Area | 737 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 11.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 34% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Baby LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Baby Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | 2653.07 | 6.65 lb |
| CNM | 21.38 | — |
| Bluegill | 14.35 | 0.08 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.40 | — |
| Smallmouth Bass | 5.74 | 1.48 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.60 | 0.63 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.
Muskellunge
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-31 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basins in Baby Lake on July 31, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco require a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Baby Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BabyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Baby (1547)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BabyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BabyPublic 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 | ↑ Improving | +0.24 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.38 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.1 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (39 observations).
Estimated open water season: 223 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-04-07 (2000) | 2008-05-06 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 1996-11-13 (1996) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2018-05-04
EPA Impairment Status
Baby Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0283-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #26 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Baby Lake
What is the water quality grade for Baby Lake?
- Baby Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 737.32 acres.
Is Baby Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Baby Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Baby Lake?
- Baby Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August, from 109 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Baby Lake?
- Baby Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet and an average depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 737.32 acres.
What fish are in Baby Lake?
- Fish species found in Baby Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Baby Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
When does Baby Lake thaw?
- Baby Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Does Baby Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Baby Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Baby Lake?
- Baby Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Baby Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Baby Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
115 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
MNPCA115 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
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