Black Oak Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota95 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Black Oak Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Black Oak Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 95.09 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Black Oak Lake. DNR survey details →
Black Oak Lake is a 95-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet (11-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 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 2025-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Black Oak Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Black Oak Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Black Oak 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 Black Oak Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Black Oak Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | 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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Black Oak Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Black Oak Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in Apr (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 34 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Black Oak Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Black Oak Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Black Oak 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-10 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2019-06-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 44.04 | 3–4 in 2019-06-10 | 0.07 lb |
| Black Crappie | 23.32 | 3–9 in 2019-06-10 | 0.17 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.99 | 3–17 in 2009-06-15 | 1.81 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.49 | 11–31 in 2019-06-10 | 3.66 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.07 | 4 in 2019-06-10 | 0.05 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 4.38 | 0.12 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
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2019-06-10 survey
Black Oak Lake is a 119 acre lake located 3 miles south of Melrose in northwestern Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 19 feet and is classified as Lake Class 42. The watershed (960 acres) is small and mostly row crops (39%) with some forest (28%) and pasture (14%). The DNR owns a public access on the southeast…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Black Oak Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Black OakFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Black Oak (1986)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Black OakFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Black OakPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Average depth
11 ft
Surface area
95 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,211 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Black Oak 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 Black Oak Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Black Oak 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 Black Oak Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Black Oak Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Black Oak 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: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0241-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Black Oak Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Melrose WwtpMelrose · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MN0020290MajorRecent violation
- GemsdGreenwald · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MN0056863
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Black Oak Lake
Where is Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak 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 Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 95.09 acres.
Is Black Oak Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Black Oak Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 34 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 95.09 acres.
What fish are in Black Oak Lake?
- Fish species found in Black Oak Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Black Oak Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Black Oak Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Black Oak Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Black Oak 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.
Are there boat ramps on Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Black Oak Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Black Oak Lake?
- Black Oak 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.
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Where this data comes from
65 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
MNPCA65 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory