Basswood Lake
Lake County, Minnesota25,953 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Basswood Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- spiny waterflea
- 111 ft max depth
- Limited data
Basswood Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 111 ft. Surface area: 25952.96 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2022 caught 15.45 walleye per gill net at Basswood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–29 inches. DNR survey details →
Basswood Lake is a 25,953-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 111 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and lake whitefish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 26,000 acres, Basswood Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. The median ice-out date is May 5, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Basswood Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Basswood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 5
- Deep water111 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water25,953 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Basswood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Basswood 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 Basswood Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Basswood 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 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Basswood Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2022 caught 15.45 walleye per gill net at Basswood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–29 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Basswood 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 9.84 | 3–29 in 2022-08-01 | 1.62 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.06 | 1–9 in 2022-08-01 | 0.34 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.94 | 4–10 in 2022-08-01 | 0.2 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.54 | 5–17 in 2022-08-01 | 0.89 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.33 | 10–39 in 2022-08-01 | 2.79 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2025-08-07 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Basswood Lake on August 7th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Basswood Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BasswoodFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
111 ft
Surface area
25,953 acres
Shoreline
332.6 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2,719 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,293 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Basswood Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Basswood Lake in Lake 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 Basswood 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 Basswood Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Basswood 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.
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 5
Earliest Apr 14, 1998 · Latest May 14, 2014
Most recent ice-out
May 14
2014
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Basswood Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0645-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Basswood Lake
Where is Basswood Lake?
- Basswood Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Basswood Lake?
- Basswood Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 111 ft. Surface area: 25952.96 acres.
Is Basswood Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Basswood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Basswood Lake?
- Basswood Lake has a maximum depth of 111 feet. The lake covers 25952.96 acres.
What fish are in Basswood Lake?
- Fish species found in Basswood Lake include black crappie, bluegill, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Basswood Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Basswood Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 1, 2022 caught 15.45 walleye per gill net at Basswood Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–29 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Basswood 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.
When does Basswood Lake thaw?
- Basswood Lake typically has ice-out around May 5.
Can I fish at Basswood Lake?
- Public access to Basswood 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 Basswood Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
231 measurements from 83 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
MNPCA231 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (83)
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-100
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-280
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-331
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-291
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-332
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-307
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-240
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-293
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-216
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-326
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-296
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-315
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-321
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-328
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-228
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-292
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-224
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-265
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-225
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-235
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-278
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-234
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-330
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-317
- MNPCA-38-0645-00-255
- +58 more
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate