Big Pine Lake
Big Pine Lake in Pine County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 398.95 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 70°F
- Max depth
- 25 ft
- Area
- 399 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 220 days
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Big Pine Lake →
Next lake in Pine County
Big Pine Lake is a 399-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet (15-foot average). Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Pine County, Big Pine Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 20 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 20 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Big Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Pine Lake in Pine 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Big Pine Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Pine Lake
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 →
Water Temperature
Big Pine Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in Sep (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 55 field readings (2011–2025) 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 high (432,514 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft |
| Average Depth | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 399 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 34% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pine LakePublic
- Big Pine LakePublic
- Upper Pine LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Pine Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-30 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 34.44 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 22.79 | 1.47 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.76 | 0.2 lb |
| CNM | 13.09 | — |
| JND | 7.44 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 4.30 | 0.6 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.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-10-30 survey
Big Pine Lake is a 387-acre lake in northwestern Pine County located eleven miles northwest of Sandstone and is within the Kettle River Watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 25 ft and 35% of the lake is 15 feet or less (135 littoral acres). It is a steep sided narrow basin that lies in a northeast/southwest…
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 (0343)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
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.111 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.77 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.1 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (89 observations).
Estimated open water season: 220 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-11 (2024) | 1975-05-02 (1975) |
| Ice-In | 1991-11-03 (1991) | 2004-12-14 (2004) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-06
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 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN58-0138-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Pine County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Big Pine Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Pine County
Frequently asked questions about Big Pine Lake
What is the water quality grade for Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake in Pine County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 20 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 398.95 acres.
Is Big Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Big Pine Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 20 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Big Pine Lake?
- Big Pine Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 55 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). 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 25 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 398.95 acres.
What fish are in Big Pine Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Pine Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Pine Lake is located in Pine County, Minnesota.
When does Big Pine Lake thaw?
- Big Pine Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 220 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 high (432,514 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 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pine Lake, Big Pine Lake, Upper Pine Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Pine Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
183 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA183 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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