Ball Club Lake
Cook County, Minnesota206 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ball Club Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ball Club Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 205.99 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 10.83 walleye per gill net at Ball Club Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Ball Club Lake is a 206-acre mesotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including walleye, white sucker, and yellow perch. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Ball Club Lake ranks #39 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ball Club Lake covers about 210 acres in Cook County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Ball Club Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Ball Club Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Ball Club Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ball Club 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 Ball Club Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ball Club Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.1 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ball Club Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ball Club Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in Jun (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ball Club Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 10.83 walleye per gill net at Ball Club Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ball Club Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-25 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-25 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Shiner | 83.05 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 6.14 | 1–9 in 2022-07-25 | 0.12 lb |
| Walleye | 5.48 | 7–20 in 2022-07-25 | 1.33 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.97 | 5–20 in 2022-07-25 | 1.82 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.16 | 11–22 in 2004-07-21 | 1.64 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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2022-07-25 survey
Ball Club Lake is located about 20 miles from the City of Grand Marais and can be accessed from the Ball Club Lake Road, a well-maintained gravel road north of Two Island Lake. There is a concrete boat launch at the lake and a small camping area, with parking for six or seven vehicles. There is no development on the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ball Club Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Ball ClubFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ball Club (1606)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Ball ClubPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
206 acres
Shoreline
6.6 mi
Littoral zone
77%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,929 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ball Club 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 Ball Club Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ball Club Lake in Cook 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 Ball Club 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ball Club Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Ball Club Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0182-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Ball Club Lake
Where is Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 205.99 acres.
Is Ball Club Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ball Club Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 205.99 acres.
What fish are in Ball Club Lake?
- Fish species found in Ball Club Lake include walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Ball Club Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ball Club Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2022 caught 10.83 walleye per gill net at Ball Club Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ball Club Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ball Club Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club 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 Ball Club 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 Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Ball Club Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2024 - Eastern Regional Office
USFSEASTERN2 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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