Bay Lake
Bay Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 2329.89 acres.
- Clarity
- 18.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 62°F
- Max depth
- 74 ft
- Area
- 2,330 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 223 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Bay Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Bay Lake is a 2,330-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 74 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Bay Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bay Lake in Crow Wing 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 Bay Lake
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Water Temperature
Bay Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 269 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bay Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 74 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,330 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 24.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 43% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bay 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-06-14 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 31.39 | — |
| Bluegill | 26.29 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.36 | 0.99 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.77 | 1.43 lb |
| PGS | 5.59 | — |
| TPM | 4.47 | — |
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
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2021-06-14 survey
Bay Lake is a popular 2,392 acre lake located five miles south of Deerwood in Crow Wing County. Development is heavy on its 24.3 miles of shoreline. Maximum depth is 74 feet, with 42% of the lake 15 feet deep or less. The lone public access located on the west shore of the northwest bay can get very crowded at times.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bay Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bay (0010)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BayFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BayPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.112 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.08 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (26 observations).
Estimated open water season: 223 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-13 (2024) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-08 (2019) | 2001-12-21 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-10
EPA Impairment Status
Bay 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 MN18-0034-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #27 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Bay Lake
What is the water quality grade for Bay Lake?
- Bay Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 2329.89 acres.
Is Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Bay Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Bay Lake?
- Bay Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August, from 269 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bay Lake?
- Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 74 feet. The lake covers 2329.89 acres.
What fish are in Bay Lake?
- Fish species found in Bay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bay Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Bay Lake thaw?
- Bay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Explore Bay Lake across LakeGrade
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
656 measurements from 5 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
MNPCA656 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate