Bella Lake
Nobles County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic
Bella Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.
A TSI above 70 puts Bella Lake in hypereutrophic territory: visible blooms are common, and clarity rarely climbs even in early summer. A maximum depth of just 14 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. Bella Lake covers 180 acres alongside 6.0 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Bella Lake ranks 4 of 4 in Nobles County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.
No invasive species are currently listed at Bella Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Bella Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Bella Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 635 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 87.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | 635 µg/L | F |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 87 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 14 ft |
| Surface Area | 179.51 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Bella Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Bella Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Bella Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Nobles County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Bella Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
- DLittle Spirit LakeJackson County · mi · Higher grade (F → D)
- DRound LakeJackson County · mi · Higher grade (F → D)
Nearby Lakes in Nobles County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-05-16 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 2857.14 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 47.47 | 0.19 lb |
| Common Carp | 14.35 | 2.65 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 12.90 | 4.7 lb |
| White Crappie | 12.80 | 0.36 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 5.07 | 0.9 lb |
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.
Black Bullhead
Common Carp
Bigmouth Buffalo
White Crappie
From the 2023-05-16 survey
Bella Lake is a 182-acre reservoir located 8 miles south of the City of Worthington, in Nobles County. On a year with average water level fluctuations, the lake has a maximum depth of 14 ft. Bella Lake serves as an aquifer replenishment reservoir for Worthington municipal water supplies, and thus has substantial water…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bella Lake. 3 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BellaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BellaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BellaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bella Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Bella (completed 1971), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Ocheydan River; earth-type dam, 28 ft tall and 924 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 1,150 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,220 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 67 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- WD of Okabena-Ocheda
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00316 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Bella 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 MN53-0045-00 · Official waterbody report
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Most recent sample: 2023-09-18
Monitoring stations: 1