Big Swan Lake
Big Swan Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 86.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 683.85 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- 32 ft
- Area
- 684 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 4
- Open water
- 241 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Big Swan Lake →
Next lake in Meeker County
Big Swan Lake is a 684-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet (11-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 23 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Big Swan Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-18. 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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 86.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 61.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 68.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 86.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 61.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Big Swan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Swan Lake in Meeker 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 Swan Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Swan 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 Swan Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 52 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Swan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Swan Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (794,328 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
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 | 32 ft |
| Average Depth | 11 ft |
| Surface Area | 684 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 49% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Swan LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Swan 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 28.36 | 2.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 24.27 | 0.35 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.33 | 0.31 lb |
| Common Carp | 8.61 | 3.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.45 | 0.13 lb |
| White Crappie | 3.97 | 0.51 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.
Walleye
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Common Carp
From the 2025-09-24 survey
A targeted survey (fall nighttime electrofishing) was conducted on Big Swan Lake on September 24th, 2025, to evaluate young of the year (YOY) and yearling Walleye abundance. A total of 13 YOY were sampled for a catch rate of 13.0 fish/hr., which was below the lake's historical (1994 to 2025) median (18.6 fish/hr.) and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Swan 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 SwanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big SwanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big SwanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.785 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +10.22 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.82 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (13 observations).
Estimated open water season: 241 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2007-03-30 (2007) | 2005-05-06 (2005) |
| Ice-In | 2014-11-14 (2014) | 2004-12-17 (2004) |
Most recent ice-out: 2020-04-05
EPA Impairment Status
Big Swan Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0038-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 19 lakes in Meeker County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Big Swan Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Big Swan Lake
What is the water quality grade for Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 86.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 683.85 acres.
Is Big Swan Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Big Swan Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 61.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 52 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 683.85 acres.
What fish are in Big Swan Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Swan Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, smallmouth buffalo, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Swan Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
When does Big Swan Lake thaw?
- Big Swan Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
Does Big Swan Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Swan Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (794,328 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 Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Swan Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Big Swan Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
109 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA109 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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