Blackhawk Lake
Dakota County, Minnesota40 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Blackhawk Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
Blackhawk Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 39.85 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Blackhawk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. DNR survey details →
Blackhawk Lake is a 40-acre mesotrophic lake in Dakota County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Dakota County, Blackhawk Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Blackhawk Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Blackhawk Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Blackhawk 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 Blackhawk Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Blackhawk Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Blackhawk Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Blackhawk Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°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 (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 83 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Blackhawk Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Blackhawk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blackhawk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-21 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.52 | 3–7 in 2025-05-21 | 0.09 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 20.76 | 9–14 in 2025-05-21 | 0.47 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.57 | 3–8 in 2025-05-21 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 6.56 | 5–10 in 2025-05-21 | 0.56 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 3.57 | 5–7 in 2010-07-13 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.11 | 3–7 in 2025-05-21 | 0.15 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
Hybrid Sunfish
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-05-21 survey
Blackhawk Lake is a 54-acre, class 42 lake located in the City of Eagan. The south shoreline is located within Blackhawk Lake Park, which is managed by the City of Eagan Parks and Recreation Department, and the north shoreline is developed with single-family homes. The City of Eagan maintains a carry-in boat access,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Blackhawk Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlackhawkFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BlackhawkFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BlackhawkPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
40 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
21 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
797 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Blackhawk Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Blackhawk Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Blackhawk 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.44 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Blackhawk 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 MN19-0059-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Blackhawk 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.
- Met Council - Seneca WwtpEagan · 1.2 mi away · NPDES MN0030007MajorRecent violation
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 Dakota County
Frequently asked questions about Blackhawk Lake
Where is Blackhawk Lake?
- Blackhawk Lake is a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Blackhawk Lake?
- Blackhawk Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 39.85 acres.
Is Blackhawk Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blackhawk 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 Blackhawk Lake?
- Blackhawk Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 83 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Blackhawk Lake?
- Blackhawk Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 39.85 acres.
What fish are in Blackhawk Lake?
- Fish species found in Blackhawk Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed. Blackhawk Lake is located in Dakota County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Blackhawk Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 21, 2025 caught 0.29 largemouth bass per trap net at Blackhawk Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blackhawk Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Blackhawk Lake?
- Public access to Blackhawk Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Blackhawk Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
182 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
MNPCA182 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder