Where is Big Stone Lake?

Big Stone Lake is a lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Big Stone Lake?

Big Stone Lake has a maximum depth of 15.1 feet. The lake covers 11889 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Big Stone Lake?

Big Stone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bonanza. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Big Stone Lake?

Big Stone 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.

Big Stone Lake

Big Stone County, Minnesota11,889 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

15.1 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

11,889 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

61.3 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
15 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Big Stone Lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15.1 ft. Surface area: 11889 acres.

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Big Stone Lake is a 11,889-acre lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Big Stone Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Big water11,889 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Recreation use not supported

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Stone Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Big Stone 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.

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Water quality measurements for Big Stone Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Stone Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Big Stone Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

15.1 ft

Surface area

11,889 acres

Shoreline

61.3 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

BonanzaPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

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Stays near Big Stone Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Stone Lake in Big Stone 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 Stone Lake

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Fishing Big Stone Lake

→ Big Stone Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Big Stone Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN06-0152-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Big Stone County

Big Stone Lake3.9 ft clear · Eutrophic1.5 miView →Fogarty Lake9.8 miView →Clear Lake9.4 miView →Barry Lake0.8 ft clear11.2 miView →Unnamed Lake6.9 ft clear10 miView →Lake Leo—View →

Frequently asked questions about Big Stone Lake

Where is Big Stone Lake?: Big Stone Lake is a lake in Big Stone 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 Stone Lake?: Big Stone Lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15.1 ft. Surface area: 11889 acres.
Is Big Stone Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Stone Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Big Stone Lake?: Big Stone Lake has a maximum depth of 15.1 feet. The lake covers 11889 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Big Stone Lake?: Big Stone Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bonanza. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Stone Lake?: Big Stone 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.