Ball Club Lake
Itasca County, MinnesotaLimited DataOligotrophic
On the LakeGrade rubric, Ball Club Lake pulls an A: clarity at 16.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Minnesota.
A TSI value of 37 puts Ball Club Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 85 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Ball Club Lake covers 4,335 acres alongside 19.5 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Within Itasca County's 141 graded waters, Ball Club Lake sits at rank 30, near the top of the local distribution.
Ball Club 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. Walleye are documented at Ball Club Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Ball Club Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.
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
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Trophic State Index: 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 85 ft |
| Surface Area | 4.3K acres |
| Shoreline Length | 19.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 23% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Ball Club Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Ball Club Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Ball Club 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: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.18 m/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
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #30 of 141 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Ball Club Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Ball Club Lake With Nearby Lakes
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.
- —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
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2025-10-08
Monitoring stations: 1