Big Island Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota244 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Island Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 243.82 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2021 caught 5.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Big Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. DNR survey details →
Big Island Lake is a 244-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Big Island Lake ranks #39 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Island Lake covers about 240 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Big Island Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Big Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water42 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Island 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 Big Island Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Island Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.4µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Island Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2021 caught 5.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Big Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2021-07-20 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 10.84 | 4–19 in 2020-07-13 | 0.76 lb |
| Bluegill | 10.24 | 3–7 in 2020-07-13 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.79 | 16–28 in 2020-07-13 | 1.92 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.30 | 4–10 in 2020-07-13 | 0.3 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
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2021-07-20 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Big Island Lake was conducted on July 20-21, 2021, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Island Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Island (0723)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big IslandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
244 acres
Shoreline
8.9 mi
Littoral zone
83%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,391 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Island 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 Big Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Island 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 Big Island Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Big Island Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Island Lake
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Big Island Lake
Where is Big Island Lake?
- Big Island 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 Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 243.82 acres.
Is Big Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 243.82 acres.
What fish are in Big Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Island Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch. Big Island Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Island Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 20, 2021 caught 5.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Big Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Big Island Lake?
- Big Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Island Lake?
- Big Island 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 Big Island 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
19 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA19 samples · 2021
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory