Badger Lake
Badger Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). 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.
- Clarity
- 6.6 ft
- Max depth
- 19 ft
- Area
- 256 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Polk County
Badger Lake is a 256-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. 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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 27 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 7.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 19 ft |
| Surface Area | 256 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Badger LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Badger Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-06-06 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 25.39 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.96 | 0.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.00 | 1.47 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.78 | 0.28 lb |
| IOD | 3.67 | — |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.23 | 0.29 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.
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
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.066 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.71 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.72 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Badger 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 MN60-0189-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.95 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 19 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Badger Lake holds Grade B. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Badger Lake
What is the water quality grade for Badger Lake?
- Badger Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). 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?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Badger Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 7.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
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.
Explore Badger Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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