Big Watab Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota246 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Watab Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 123 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Watab Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 123 ft. Surface area: 245.56 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 0.22 northern pike per trap net at Big Watab Lake. DNR survey details →
Big Watab Lake is a 246-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 123 feet (44-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Watab Lake covers about 250 acres in Stearns County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 14, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Big Watab Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Big Watab Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 14
- Deep water123 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Watab Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Watab 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 Watab Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Watab Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 20.5 ft down. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Watab Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Watab Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Watab Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 0.22 northern pike per trap net at Big Watab Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Watab Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-23 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-23 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 91.42 | ||
| Bluegill | 32.60 | 3–9 in 2025-06-23 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 21.22 | 5–11 in 2025-06-23 | 0.56 lb |
| Rainbow Trout | 7.78 | 12–14 in 2023-07-17 | 0.88 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Rainbow Trout
From the 2025-06-23 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Big Watab Lake was conducted on June 23 - 25, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Watab 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 WatabFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Watab (1993)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big WatabFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big WatabPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
123 ft
Average depth
43.5 ft
Surface area
246 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
19%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,178 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Watab 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 Watab Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Watab Lake in Stearns 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 Watab 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 Watab 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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 14
Earliest Mar 19, 2025 · Latest May 7, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 7
Earliest Nov 22, 1978 · Latest Jan 14, 2012
Most recent ice-out
Mar 19
2025
134 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Big Watab Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0102-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Big Watab Lake
Where is Big Watab Lake?
- Big Watab Lake is a lake in Stearns 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 Watab Lake?
- Big Watab Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 123 ft. Surface area: 245.56 acres.
Is Big Watab Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Watab Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Watab Lake?
- Big Watab Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Watab Lake?
- Big Watab Lake has a maximum depth of 123 feet and an average depth of 43.5 feet. The lake covers 245.56 acres.
What fish are in Big Watab Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Watab Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, brown trout, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Watab Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Watab Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 23, 2025 caught 0.22 northern pike per trap net at Big Watab Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Watab Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Big Watab Lake thaw?
- Big Watab Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 237 days.
Are there boat ramps on Big Watab Lake?
- Big Watab Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Watab Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Watab Lake?
- Big Watab 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 Watab Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
137 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA137 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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