Bavaria Lake
Carver County, Minnesota166 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bavaria Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 66 ft max depth
- Public access
Bavaria Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 166.46 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 20, 2023 caught 0.44 largemouth bass per trap net at Bavaria Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–16 inches. DNR survey details →
Bavaria Lake is a 166-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carver County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 66 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 37 other monitored lakes in Carver County, Bavaria Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bavaria Lake covers about 170 acres in Carver County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Bavaria Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Bavaria Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water66 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Bavaria Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bavaria 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 Bavaria Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bavaria Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft. Phosphorus 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 21.7 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 21.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bavaria Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bavaria Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 57°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 58°F) and coldest in Feb (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (37°F) to its warmest (58°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,753 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bavaria Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 20, 2023 caught 0.44 largemouth bass per trap net at Bavaria Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–16 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bavaria Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-03 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-03 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 55.68 | ||
| Bluegill | 47.14 | 3–8 in 2023-06-20 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 17.27 | 8–16 in 2023-06-20 | 1.25 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 10.64 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.58 | 8–11 in 2023-06-20 | 0.65 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-09-03 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Bavaria Lake on September 3rd, 2025, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 26 survey sites evenly spaced 150 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bavaria Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BavariaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BavariaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
66 ft
Surface area
166 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
965 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake BavariaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bavaria Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bavaria Lake in Carver 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 Bavaria Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Bavaria 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bavaria 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 Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.59 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.06 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Bavaria Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN10-0019-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carver County
Frequently asked questions about Bavaria Lake
Where is Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake is a lake in Carver County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake in Carver County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 166.46 acres.
Is Bavaria Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bavaria Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 1,753 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake has a maximum depth of 66 feet. The lake covers 166.46 acres.
What fish are in Bavaria Lake?
- Fish species found in Bavaria Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bavaria Lake is located in Carver County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bavaria Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 20, 2023 caught 0.44 largemouth bass per trap net at Bavaria Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–16 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bavaria Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Bavaria. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bavaria Lake?
- Bavaria Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Bavaria Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
218 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA218 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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