Bad Medicine Lake
Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 25 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 803.03 acres.
- Clarity
- 25 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 84 ft
- Area
- 803 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 22
- Open water
- 223 days
Next lake in Becker County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Bad Medicine Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Bad Medicine Lake is a 803-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 84 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 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and burbot. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Bad Medicine Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-23. 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)
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down. Phosphorus level: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 32.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 25 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 32 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Bad Medicine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bad Medicine Lake in Becker 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
Bad Medicine Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 80 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bad Medicine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bad Medicine Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (216,770 cells/mL) on April 25, 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 | 84 ft |
| Surface Area | 803 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 12.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 36% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bad Medicine LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bad Medicine Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| OTM | 74.60 | — |
| White Sucker | 34.17 | 2.4 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 18.29 | — |
| MMS | 15.23 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.28 | 1.25 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 9.62 | — |
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.
White Sucker
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-07-11 survey
Bad Medicine is a four mile long, narrow, 800-acre, 84 foot deep, clear water lake located in northeastern Becker County and within the White Earth Indian Reservation. The lake has steep, primarily rocky, slopes near shore. Although the lake lies within the Mississippi River drainage, it has no outlet and is primarily…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bad Medicine Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Bad MedicineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bad Medicine (1226)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Bad MedicineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Bad MedicinePublic 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 | -0.046 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.8 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (100 observations).
Estimated open water season: 223 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-06 (2021) | 1979-05-11 (1979) |
| Ice-In | 1996-11-19 (1996) | 2015-12-20 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-04-09
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Bad Medicine Lake
What is the water quality grade for Bad Medicine Lake?
- Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 25 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 803.03 acres.
Is Bad Medicine Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Bad Medicine Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Bad Medicine Lake?
- Bad Medicine Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 80 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bad Medicine Lake?
- Bad Medicine Lake has a maximum depth of 84 feet. The lake covers 803.03 acres.
What fish are in Bad Medicine Lake?
- Fish species found in Bad Medicine Lake include black crappie, bluegill, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Bad Medicine Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
When does Bad Medicine Lake thaw?
- Bad Medicine Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Does Bad Medicine Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bad Medicine Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (216,770 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Bad Medicine Lake?
- Bad Medicine Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bad Medicine Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Bad Medicine Lake across LakeGrade
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Becker County · Grade C
Becker County · Grade A
Becker County · Grade A
Becker County · Grade A
Becker County · Grade A
Becker County · Grade A
Where this data comes from
311 measurements from 4 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
MNPCA265 samples · 2020–2025 - Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX46 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate