Blind Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota304 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Blind Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Blind Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 304.37 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 10.33 northern pike per gill net at Blind Lake. DNR survey details →
Blind Lake is a 304-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Blind Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 27
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blind Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Blind 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 Blind Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Blind Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.5ft | 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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Blind Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Blind Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Blind Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Blind Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (285,759 cells/mL) on October 4, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 10.33 northern pike per gill net at Blind Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blind Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2026-03-05 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2026-03-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.19 | 7–9 in 2025-05-07 | 0.27 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.53 | 4–8 in 2018-06-18 | 0.19 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.19 | 4–12 in 2025-05-07 | 0.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 8.07 | 6–14 in 2018-06-18 | 0.68 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.45 | 5–11 in 2018-06-18 | 0.83 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
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
From the 2026-03-05 survey
This survey was conducted on 3/5/2026 to gauge the likelihood of a winterkill occurring on Blind Lake. Winter dissolved oxygen levels were good for Blind Lake and likely tolerable based on this survey with 5.9 ppm below the ice and 1.3 ppm near the bottom. Therefore, it seemed unlikely for any significant winterkill…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Blind Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlindFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Blind (0011)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BlindPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
304 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Blind 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 Blind Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blind Lake in Aitkin 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 Blind Lake
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Follow Blind Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Blind Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 27
Earliest Apr 5, 2015 · Latest May 9, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 30
2022
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Blind 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: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0188-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Blind Lake
Where is Blind Lake?
- Blind Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Blind Lake?
- Blind Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 304.37 acres.
Is Blind Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blind Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Blind Lake?
- Blind Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Blind Lake?
- Blind Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 304.37 acres.
What fish are in Blind Lake?
- Fish species found in Blind Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Blind Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Blind Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 10.33 northern pike per gill net at Blind Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Blind Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Blind Lake thaw?
- Blind Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 27.
Does Blind Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Blind Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (285,759 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Blind Lake?
- Blind Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Blind Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Blind Lake?
- Blind 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 Blind Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA40 samples · 2020–2024
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