Big Pine Lake

Big Pine Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 25 ft puts Big Pine Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 399 acres and 5.8 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Big Pine Lake sits at rank 12 of 19 in Pine County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Big Pine Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Big Pine Lake, one of 14 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Big Pine Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 61 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 17. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.