Big Pine Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota638 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Pine Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 78 ft max depth
- Public access
Big Pine Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 638.02 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 1.08 walleye per gill net at Big Pine Lake. DNR survey details →
Big Pine Lake is a 638-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 78 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Aitkin County, Big Pine Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Pine Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water78 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Big Pine Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Pine 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 Pine Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Pine 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 17 ft down. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.6 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | 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) | 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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Pine Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Pine Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 54 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Pine Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (6,486 cells/mL) on November 21, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 1.08 walleye per gill net at Big Pine Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-26 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-26 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.44 | ||
| Bluegill | 11.88 | 3–7 in 2024-08-26 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.29 | 5–15 in 2024-08-26 | 0.6 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
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-08-26 survey
Big Pine Lake is a moderately clear water lake located in southwestern Aitkin County and is part of the Mille Lacs/Rum River watershed. There is a state-owned public access located on the south side of the lake. Big Pine Lake has a variety of habitats available to the angler from open, wind-swept gravel and rock to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Pine Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big PineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Pine (0033)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big PineFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big PinePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
78 ft
Surface area
638 acres
Shoreline
6.4 mi
Littoral zone
41%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,247 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Pine 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 Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Pine Lake in Aitkin 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 Pine Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Pine Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.45 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.14 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 16, 2024 · Latest May 3, 2023
Typical ice-in
Dec 4
Earliest Nov 20, 2002 · Latest Dec 11, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Big Pine Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0157-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Big Pine Lake
Where is Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake is a lake in Aitkin 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 Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 638.02 acres.
Is Big Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Pine Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in October, from 54 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 78 feet. The lake covers 638.02 acres.
What fish are in Big Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Pine Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Pine Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Pine Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 1.08 walleye per gill net at Big Pine Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Pine Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Big Pine Lake thaw?
- Big Pine Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Dec 4. The open water season is approximately 233 days.
Does Big Pine Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Pine Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (6,486 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Pine Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine 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 Pine Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
186 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA186 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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