Battle Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota243 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Battle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 15 ft max depth
Battle Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 243.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2018 caught 0.83 walleye per gill net at Battle Lake. DNR survey details →
Battle Lake is a 243-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Battle Lake ranks #29 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Battle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 20
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Battle 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 Battle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Battle 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 8.2 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.1 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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 Battle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Battle Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Battle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2018 caught 0.83 walleye per gill net at Battle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Battle 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
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-16 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 6.28 | 4–7 in 2018-07-16 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.53 | 3–9 in 2018-07-16 | 0.41 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 4.14 | ||
| Northern Pike | 3.99 | 17–26 in 2018-07-16 | 1.51 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2018-07-16 survey
Battle Lake is a 199 acre lake located east of Effie, MN in the Bigfork River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and is part of a navigable chain of lakes including Pickerel and Deer Lakes. The lake has limited development, and the primary access is through a shallow channel from Pickerel Lake. All…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Battle Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BattleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Battle (0791)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Surface area
243 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Battle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Battle 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 Battle Lake
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Follow Battle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Battle Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.33 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.52 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 20
Earliest Apr 14, 2005 · Latest May 2, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 22
Earliest Nov 5, 2003 · Latest Nov 24, 2004
Most recent ice-out
May 2
2008
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Battle Lake
Where is Battle Lake?
- Battle Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Battle Lake?
- Battle Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 243.32 acres.
Is Battle 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 Battle Lake?
- Battle Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Battle Lake?
- Battle Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 243.32 acres.
What fish are in Battle Lake?
- Fish species found in Battle Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Battle Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Battle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 16, 2018 caught 0.83 walleye per gill net at Battle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Battle 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 Battle Lake thaw?
- Battle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 22. The open water season is approximately 216 days.
Can I fish at Battle Lake?
- Public access to Battle 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 Battle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
38 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA38 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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