Bald Eagle Lake
Ramsey County, MinnesotaEutrophic
Bald Eagle Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.
At a TSI of 53, Bald Eagle Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 36 ft puts Bald Eagle Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Bald Eagle Lake covers 1,049 acres alongside 9.2 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Bald Eagle Lake sits at rank 26 of 49 in Ramsey County, in the lower half of the local distribution.
Bald Eagle Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Muskie are on the species list at Bald Eagle Lake, among the lake's 13 documented fish. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been logged at Bald Eagle Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Apr 8 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C, Fair
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus level: 33 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 53.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.9 ft | D |
| Phosphorus | 33 µg/L | C |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 36 ft |
| Average Depth | 13.3 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.0K acres |
| Shoreline Length | 9.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 72% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Bald Eagle Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Bald Eagle Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Bald Eagle Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.098 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.2 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (83 observations).
Estimated open water season: 242 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-07 (2024) | 2013-05-02 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2022-11-22 (2022) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-03-25
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #26 of 49 lakes in Ramsey County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Bald Eagle Lake holds Grade C. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
- AWhite Bear LakeWashington County · mi · Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- BOtter LakeRamsey County · mi · Higher grade (C → B)
- CBirch LakeRamsey County · mi · Higher overall water quality score
- CBlack LakeRamsey County · mi · Higher overall water quality score
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Bald Eagle Lake
Other Grade C Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Bald Eagle Lake With Nearby Lakes
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
21 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-06 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 40.73 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 24.43 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 20.05 | 0.55 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.12 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.76 | 0.14 lb |
| BNS | 9.80 | — |
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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2022-07-06 survey
Bald Eagle Lake is a 1,047 acre (751 littoral acres), class 24 lake located in northeastern Ramsey County. The lake is primarily managed for Walleye and Muskellunge. Zebra mussels were discovered in August, 2018 and have the potential to increase the water clarity in Bald Eagle Lake which may impact future survey…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bald Eagle Lake. 3 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Bald EagleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Bald EagleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Bald EaglePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bald Eagle Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bald Eagle Lake (completed 1889), built primarily for recreation on the Clearwater River; other-type dam, 10 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,046 ac
- Normal storage
- 8,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 31 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Unknown, see pdf dated 1_1_2015
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00565 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Bald Eagle 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 MN62-0002-00 · Official waterbody report
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-09-24
Monitoring stations: 4