Belle Taine Lake
Hubbard County, MinnesotaOligotrophic
Belle Taine Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Hubbard County. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.
Trophically, Belle Taine Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. Belle Taine Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 56 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. Belle Taine Lake covers 1,497 acres alongside 24.0 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 76 graded lakes in Hubbard County, Belle Taine Lake sits at rank 23, above the county median.
Belle Taine Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Belle Taine Lake, one of 14 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Belle Taine Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 24 times at Belle Taine Lake, with a median around Apr 18. 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 2024-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 22.8 ft down. Phosphorus level: 7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 32.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 22.8 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | A |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 32 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 56 ft |
| Average Depth | 10 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres |
| Shoreline Length | 24 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 52% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Belle Taine Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Belle Taine Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Belle Taine Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.24 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (34 observations).
Estimated open water season: 216 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-15 (2024) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2003-11-08 (2003) | 2001-12-01 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-18
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #23 of 76 lakes in Hubbard County
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Belle Taine Lake With Nearby Lakes
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-23 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.52 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.19 | 0.51 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.41 | 0.12 lb |
| BKF | 7.70 | — |
| Yellow Bass | 6.72 | 0.62 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.49 | 0.14 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2021-08-23 survey
Belle Taine is located in south-central Hubbard County adjacent to the town of Nevis. Belle Taine has a surface area of 1,497 acres and a maximum depth of 56 feet. A city owned public access is located on the east shore of the lake. Access is also available by small craft from Shallow Lake which lies to the north of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Belle Taine Lake. 4 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Belle TaineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Belle Taine (1287)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Belle TaineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Belle TainePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
EPA Impairment Status
Belle Taine 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 MN29-0146-00 · 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-09-15
Monitoring stations: 1