Borden Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota1,011 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Borden Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 84 ft max depth
- Public access
Borden Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 1011.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.92 northern pike per trap net at Borden Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Borden Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Borden Lake is a 1,011-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 84 feet (22-foot average). Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Borden Lake ranks #52 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Borden Lake covers about 1,000 acres in Crow Wing County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 18, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Borden Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Borden Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water84 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,011 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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. Borden Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Borden 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 Borden Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Borden 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.8 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.8µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Borden Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Borden Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 73°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 (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 114 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Borden Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.92 northern pike per trap net at Borden Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Borden 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
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
18 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 28.80 | ||
| Bluegill | 14.22 | 3–7 in 2024-07-29 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.61 | 5–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.87 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
From the 2025-07-31 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Borden Lake on July 31st, 2025, 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 lake.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Borden Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BordenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Borden (0132)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BordenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
84 ft
Average depth
22 ft
Surface area
1,011 acres
Shoreline
12.4 mi
Littoral zone
30%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,240 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Borden 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 Borden Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Borden Lake in Crow Wing 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 Borden Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Borden Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Borden Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+12.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Mar 14, 2024 · Latest May 4, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 29, 2003 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 14
2024
37 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Borden 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 MN18-0020-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Borden Lake
Where is Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 84 ft. Surface area: 1011.39 acres.
Is Borden Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Borden 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 Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 114 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake has a maximum depth of 84 feet and an average depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 1011.39 acres.
What fish are in Borden Lake?
- Fish species found in Borden Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Borden Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Borden Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 0.92 northern pike per trap net at Borden Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Borden 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.
When does Borden Lake thaw?
- Borden Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 227 days.
Are there boat ramps on Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Borden Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Borden Lake?
- Borden 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 Borden Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Where this data comes from
75 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
MNPCA75 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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