Ball Club Lake
Ball Club Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 85 ft. Surface area: 4335.27 acres.
- Clarity
- 16 ft
- Typical in August
- 63°F
- Max depth
- 85 ft
- Area
- 4,335 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 6
- Open water
- 241 days
Next lake in Itasca County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Ball Club Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Ball Club Lake is a 4,335-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 85 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Ball Club Lake ranks #50 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-08. 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)
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus level: 16.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Ball Club Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ball Club Lake in Itasca 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
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Ball Club Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Water Temperature
Ball Club Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 336 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ball Club Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 85 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,335 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 19.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 23% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ball Club Lake (West)Public
- Ball Club Lake (South)Public
- Hundred Acre Wood ResortSemi-private
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ball Club 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 110.54 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 17.43 | 0.41 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.68 | 0.16 lb |
| GOS | 10.68 | — |
| BNS | 8.24 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.34 | 1.65 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-08-05 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Ball Club Lake, which is located wholly within the Leech Lake Reservation, on August 5th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ball Club Lake. 4 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 (0656)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Ball ClubFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Ball ClubPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.18 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (7 observations).
Estimated open water season: 241 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-27 (2012) | 2019-04-26 (2019) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-20 (2018) | 2020-12-02 (2020) |
Most recent ice-out: 2021-04-06
County Ranking
Ranked #50 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Ball Club Lake holds Grade B. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Ball Club Lake
What is the water quality grade for Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 85 ft. Surface area: 4335.27 acres.
Is Ball Club Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Ball Club Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 336 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). 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 85 feet. The lake covers 4335.27 acres.
What fish are in Ball Club Lake?
- Fish species found in Ball Club Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Ball Club Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
When does Ball Club Lake thaw?
- Ball Club Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Dec 3. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
Are there boat ramps on Ball Club Lake?
- Ball Club Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ball Club Lake (West), Ball Club Lake (South), Hundred Acre Wood Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ball Club Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX36 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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
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