Badger Lake
Polk County, Minnesota256 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Badger Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
Badger Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 255.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2016 caught 1.50 walleye per gill net at Badger Lake. DNR survey details →
Badger Lake is a 256-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, bluegill, and common carp. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Badger Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Badger Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Badger 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 Badger Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Badger 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 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.5 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 27µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.5µg/L | Good 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 Badger Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2016 caught 1.50 walleye per gill net at Badger Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Badger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2016-06-06 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2016-06-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 25.39 | 3–13 in 2016-06-06 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.96 | 5–10 in 2016-06-06 | 0.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.00 | 8–29 in 2016-06-06 | 1.47 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.78 | 2–9 in 2016-06-06 | 0.28 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.23 | 6–11 in 2010-06-15 | 0.29 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Bluegill
From the 2016-06-06 survey
Badger Lake is a marginal fish lake on the northern edge of Erskine, MN. The lake has a history of winter kills and abundant populations of Northern Pike and Black Bullhead. Following winterkills, the lake re-populates with Northern Pike and other fish species by immigration via County Ditch 73 or other channels. Pump…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Badger Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BadgerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Badger (0104)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BadgerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BadgerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Surface area
256 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,168 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Badger 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 Badger Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Badger Lake in Polk 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 Badger Lake
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Follow Badger Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Badger Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.71 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.72 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Badger Lake
Where is Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake is a lake in Polk County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 255.67 acres.
Is Badger Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 255.67 acres.
What fish are in Badger Lake?
- Fish species found in Badger Lake include black bullhead, bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Badger Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Badger Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2016 caught 1.50 walleye per gill net at Badger Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Badger Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Badger Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Badger Lake?
- Badger 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.
Explore Badger Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Polk County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA85 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 (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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory