Big Ole Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota217 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Ole Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Ole Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 216.95 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2001 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Big Ole Lake. DNR survey details →
Big Ole Lake is a 217-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Big Ole Lake ranks #35 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Ole Lake covers about 220 acres in Itasca County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Big Ole Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Big Ole Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water65 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 Ole 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 Ole Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Ole 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 21.8 ft down. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.6 µg/L. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.6µg/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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Ole Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Ole Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 61°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 75 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Ole Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2001 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Big Ole Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Ole Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-07-09 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2001-07-09 (Standard Survey)
25 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 43.58 | 3–8 in 2001-07-09 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.27 | 5–8 in 2001-07-09 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.83 | 11–34 in 2001-07-09 | 1.41 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.98 | 5–13 in 2001-07-09 | 0.56 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.61 | 4–7 in 2001-07-09 | 0.22 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2001-07-09 survey
Big Ole Lake is a 179-acre lake in central Itasca County within the Big Fork River watershed. Big Ole is located approximately 4 miles southeast of Marcell, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 65 ft and 84 littoral acres. A forest service carry-down access is located on the northeast shoreline. Northern pike gill-net…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Ole 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 OleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Ole (0722)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big OlePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
217 acres
Shoreline
4.7 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,381 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Ole Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Ole 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 Ole 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 Ole Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Ole Lake
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Big Ole Lake
Where is Big Ole Lake?
- Big Ole 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 Ole Lake?
- Big Ole Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 216.95 acres.
Is Big Ole 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 Ole Lake?
- Big Ole Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in September, from 75 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Ole Lake?
- Big Ole Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 216.95 acres.
What fish are in Big Ole Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Ole Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, warmouth, yellow perch. Big Ole Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Ole Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2001 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Big Ole Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Ole Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Big Ole Lake?
- Public access to Big Ole 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 Big Ole 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
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Big Ole Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
17 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
MNPCA17 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