Bald Eagle Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota1,049 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bald Eagle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 3 aquatic invasives
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 1049.09 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 6, 2022 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Bald Eagle Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Bald Eagle Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Bald Eagle Lake is a 1,049-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Bald Eagle Lake ranks #28 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bald Eagle Lake covers about 1,000 acres in Ramsey County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 8, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Bald Eagle Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Bald Eagle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
- Deep water36 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,049 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Bald Eagle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bald Eagle 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 Bald Eagle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bald Eagle 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 5.6 ft. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 21.7 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 34µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 21.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bald Eagle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bald Eagle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,346 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bald Eagle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 6, 2022 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Bald Eagle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bald Eagle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
21 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-06 (Targeted Survey).
21 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 40.73 | 3–8 in 2022-07-06 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 24.43 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 20.05 | 9 in 2022-07-06 | 0.55 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.12 | 4–8 in 2022-07-06 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.76 | 3–9 in 2022-07-06 | 0.14 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.
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.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —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
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Average depth
13.3 ft
Surface area
1,049 acres
Shoreline
9.2 mi
Littoral zone
72%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
896 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bald Eagle 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 Bald Eagle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Bald Eagle Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Bald Eagle Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Bald Eagle Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bald Eagle Lake
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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.84 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 7, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 6
Earliest Nov 22, 2022 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 25
2025
83 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0002-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Bald Eagle Lake
Where is Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 1049.09 acres.
Is Bald Eagle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bald Eagle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 1,346 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet and an average depth of 13.3 feet. The lake covers 1049.09 acres.
What fish are in Bald Eagle Lake?
- Fish species found in Bald Eagle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, sunfish, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bald Eagle Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bald Eagle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 6, 2022 caught 4.25 walleye per gill net at Bald Eagle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bald Eagle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bald Eagle Lake thaw?
- Bald Eagle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Dec 6. The open water season is approximately 242 days.
Are there boat ramps on Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bald Eagle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bald Eagle Lake?
- Bald Eagle 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 Bald Eagle 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 Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Bald Eagle Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Bald Eagle Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
983 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
MNPCA983 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
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