Bello Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota527 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bello Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bello Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 527.41 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2016 caught 5.62 northern pike per gill net at Bello Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches. DNR survey details →
Bello Lake is a 527-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Bello Lake ranks #30 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bello Lake covers about 530 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Bello Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Bello Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Bello Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bello 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 Bello Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bello Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bello Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2016 caught 5.62 northern pike per gill net at Bello Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bello Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-07-18 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2016-07-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 12.47 | 5–19 in 2016-07-18 | 1 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.13 | 3–8 in 2016-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.95 | 8–18 in 2016-07-18 | 0.92 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.92 | 14–36 in 2016-07-18 | 1.55 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.80 | 5–7 in 2016-07-18 | 0.21 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.63 | 3–8 in 2016-07-18 | 0.32 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
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Northern Pike
From the 2016-07-18 survey
Bello Lake is located about 5 miles north of Marcell, MN, and within the Chippewa National Forest. The 493 acre lake has 251 littoral acres, a maximum depth of 58 feet with no connectivity. There is an earthen DNR administered access on the east shore between the north and south basin. The lake management plan was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bello Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BelloFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bello (0816)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BelloPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Surface area
527 acres
Shoreline
8.5 mi
Littoral zone
48%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,352 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bello LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bello Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bello Lake in Itasca 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 Bello 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 →
Follow Bello Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bello Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Apr 13, 2006 · Latest May 6, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 13, 2002 · Latest Dec 6, 2001
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2008
12 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Bello Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0726-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Bello Lake
Where is Bello Lake?
- Bello Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bello Lake?
- Bello Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 527.41 acres.
Is Bello Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bello Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bello Lake?
- Bello Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 527.41 acres.
What fish are in Bello Lake?
- Fish species found in Bello Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bello Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bello Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2016 caught 5.62 northern pike per gill net at Bello Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bello Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bello Lake thaw?
- Bello Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Are there boat ramps on Bello Lake?
- Bello Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bello Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bello Lake?
- Bello 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 Bello 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 Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2020
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate