Ballantyne Lake
Ballantyne Lake in Blue Earth County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 370.76 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 63°F
- Max depth
- 58 ft
- Area
- 371 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Ballantyne Lake →
Next lake in Blue Earth County
Ballantyne Lake is a 371-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Blue Earth County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Blue Earth County, Ballantyne Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 72.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 9.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 61.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 72.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.2 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Ballantyne Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ballantyne Lake in Blue Earth 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Ballantyne Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ballantyne Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Ballantyne Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 63°F) and coldest in Jun (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 141 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ballantyne Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Ballantyne Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (293,765 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 58 ft |
| Surface Area | 371 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 81% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ballantyne LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ballantyne 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
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-03 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 30.80 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 20.59 | 0.48 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.63 | 2.25 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.64 | — |
| White Crappie | 10.37 | 0.28 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 7.71 | — |
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
Largemouth Bass
Bluntnose Minnow
From the 2025-09-03 survey
Minnesota DNR staff delineated the floating leaf and emergent aquatic vegetation of Ballantyne Lake on September 3rd, 2025, following the protocols listed in the MN DNR Lake Plant Mapping Manual. There was a total of 11.85 acres of floating and emergent plants mapped. This consisted of 10.88 acres of emergent…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ballantyne Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BallantyneFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BallantyneFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BallantynePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.034 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -39.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -14 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Ballantyne 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 MN07-0053-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.72 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 5 lakes in Blue Earth County
Nearby Lakes in Blue Earth County
Frequently asked questions about Ballantyne Lake
What is the water quality grade for Ballantyne Lake?
- Ballantyne Lake in Blue Earth County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 72.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 370.76 acres.
Is Ballantyne Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Ballantyne Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 9.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Ballantyne Lake?
- Ballantyne Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 141 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ballantyne Lake?
- Ballantyne Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 370.76 acres.
What fish are in Ballantyne Lake?
- Fish species found in Ballantyne Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ballantyne Lake is located in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.
Does Ballantyne Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Ballantyne Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (293,765 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Ballantyne Lake?
- Ballantyne Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ballantyne Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ballantyne Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Blue Earth County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Where this data comes from
71 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA71 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
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