Boot Lake
Becker County, Minnesota385 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Boot Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 109 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Boot Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 19.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 109 ft. Surface area: 385.1 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake. DNR survey details →
Boot Lake is a 385-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 109 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Boot Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Boot Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water19.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water109 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Boot 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 Boot Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Boot 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 19.5 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.8 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 19.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.8µg/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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Boot Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Boot Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Jul (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 42 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Boot Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot 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
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 17.34 | 3–7 in 2021-08-16 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.90 | 5–14 in 2021-08-16 | 0.69 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.89 |
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
From the 2025-07-30 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Boot Lake on July 30th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Boot Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BootFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Boot (1011)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BootFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BootPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
109 ft
Surface area
385 acres
Shoreline
6.8 mi
Littoral zone
21%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,539 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Boot Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Boot Lake in Becker 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 Boot Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Boot Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Boot Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Apr 6, 2017 · Latest May 8, 2022
Typical ice-in
Dec 7
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
May 4
2023
18 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Boot Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Wolf Lake WwtpWolf Lake · 1.1 mi away · NPDES MN0069205
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 Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Boot Lake
Where is Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 19.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 109 ft. Surface area: 385.1 acres.
Is Boot Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 42 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Boot Lake?
- Boot Lake has a maximum depth of 109 feet. The lake covers 385.1 acres.
What fish are in Boot Lake?
- Fish species found in Boot Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Boot Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Boot Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 5.22 walleye per gill net at Boot Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Boot 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 Boot Lake thaw?
- Boot Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Can I fish at Boot Lake?
- Public access to Boot 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 Boot Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
48 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
MNPCA48 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate