Bang Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota61 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bang Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 9 ft max depth
Bang Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 60.78 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 2001 caught 2.00 black crappie per gill net at Bang Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches. DNR survey details →
Bang Lake is a 61-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet (6-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Bang Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bang Lake covers about 61 acres in Carlton County. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Bang Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Bang Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bang 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 Bang Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bang Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.4 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 47µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.4µg/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. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bang Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bang Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 85 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bang Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 2001 caught 2.00 black crappie per gill net at Bang Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bang Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-08-27 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 2001-08-27 (Standard Survey)
25 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 108.00 | 5–7 in 2001-08-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 11.39 | 5–9 in 2001-08-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.75 | 1–8 in 2001-08-27 | 0.38 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.33 | 2–9 in 2001-08-27 | 0.41 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.08 | 1–6 in 2001-08-27 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.00 | 2–9 in 2001-08-27 | 0.25 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.
Black Bullhead
Brown Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2001-08-27 survey
Bang Lake is 58 acres with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Bang Lake is located near Sawyer, west of Duluth on highway 210. There is a state easement in the northwest corner of the lake but most of the land is private (Tribal Land). The fish community is dominated by black and brown bullheads, however black crappie,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bang Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BangFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bang (0324)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Average depth
6 ft
Surface area
61 acres
Shoreline
1.5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,289 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bang Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bang Lake in Carlton 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 Bang Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Bang 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 Bang Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bang Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+22.25 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.33 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 13, 2024 · Latest May 1, 2014
Most recent ice-out
Mar 13
2024
3 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Bang Lake
Where is Bang Lake?
- Bang Lake is a lake in Carlton County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bang Lake?
- Bang Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 47 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 60.78 acres.
Is Bang Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bang Lake?
- Bang Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 85 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bang Lake?
- Bang Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 60.78 acres.
What fish are in Bang Lake?
- Fish species found in Bang Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch. Bang Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bang Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 27, 2001 caught 2.00 black crappie per gill net at Bang Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bang Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bang Lake thaw?
- Bang Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4.
Can I fish at Bang Lake?
- Public access to Bang Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Bang Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
135 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa (MN)
FONDULAC_WQX135 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Color, APHA Platinum-Cobalt
- For determination of Copper by the Bicinchoninate method.
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate