Big Swan Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota684 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Swan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- zebra mussel
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
Big Swan Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 17.17 walleye per gill net at Big Swan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–14 inches. DNR survey details →
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). 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Swan Lake covers about 680 acres in Meeker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Big Swan Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Big Swan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing23 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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 Swan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Swan 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 Swan Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Swan Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 86.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 61.3 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 86.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 61.3µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Big Swan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Swan Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (78°F).
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 17.17 walleye per gill net at Big Swan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Swan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey).
23 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 28.36 | 5–14 in 2025-09-24 | 2.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 24.27 | 5–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.35 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.33 | 3–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.31 lb |
| Common Carp | 8.61 | 9–29 in 2024-07-29 | 3.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.45 | 5–9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.13 lb |
| White Crappie | 3.97 | 9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.51 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Average depth
11 ft
Surface area
684 acres
Shoreline
6.3 mi
Littoral zone
49%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
51 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
994 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Swan 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 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Big Swan Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Swan Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+10.22 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.82 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 30, 2007 · Latest May 6, 2005
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 14, 2014 · Latest Dec 17, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2020
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0038-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Big Swan Lake
Where is Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake is a lake in Meeker 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 Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Swan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Swan Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 17.17 walleye per gill net at Big Swan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–14 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Swan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Big Swan Lake?
- Big Swan 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 Swan Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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