Becker Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota221 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Becker Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Becker Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 221.38 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 1, 2024 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Becker Lake. DNR survey details →
Becker Lake is a 221-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet (2-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-06-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Becker Lake covers about 220 acres in Stearns County. The median ice-out date is April 8, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Becker Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Becker Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Becker 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 Becker Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Becker 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 5.7 ft. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | 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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Becker Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 1, 2024 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Becker Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Becker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-01 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 11.07 | 3–17 in 2024-08-01 | 0.71 lb |
| Northern Pike | 9.72 | 15–33 in 2024-08-01 | 1.7 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.21 | 4–6 in 2024-08-01 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.84 | 5–8 in 2024-08-01 | 0.09 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.
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-08-01 survey
Becker Lake is a 176-acre lake located near the city of Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the Sauk River just east of the lake. Becker Lake formed when a dam was built in Cold Spring in the early 1900's and is now considered a part of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Most of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Becker Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BeckerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Average depth
2.2 ft
Surface area
221 acres
Shoreline
5.9 mi
Littoral zone
77%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Becker Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Becker Lake in Stearns 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 Becker Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Becker 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
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Apr 4, 2005 · Latest Apr 14, 2007
Typical ice-in
Dec 7
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 15, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 11
2015
9 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Becker Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Richmond WwtpRichmond · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MN0024597Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Becker Lake
Where is Becker Lake?
- Becker Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Becker Lake?
- Becker Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 221.38 acres.
Is Becker Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Becker Lake?
- Becker Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet and an average depth of 2.2 feet. The lake covers 221.38 acres.
What fish are in Becker Lake?
- Fish species found in Becker Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, redhorse, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Becker Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Becker Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 1, 2024 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Becker Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Becker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Becker Lake thaw?
- Becker Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 8. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 243 days.
Can I fish at Becker Lake?
- Public access to Becker Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Becker Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Stearns County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate