Borden Lake
Borden Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 10.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 58°F
- Max depth
- 84 ft
- Area
- 1,011 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 227 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
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). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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.
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Water Temperature
Borden Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft |
| Average Depth | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,011 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 12.4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 30% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Borden LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Borden Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 28.80 | — |
| Bluegill | 14.22 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.61 | 0.87 lb |
| JND | 7.77 | — |
| BNS | 6.74 | — |
| BKS | 6.55 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.059 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +12.04 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.31 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (37 observations).
Estimated open water season: 227 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-14 (2024) | 2018-05-04 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2003-11-29 (2003) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-14
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0020-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #52 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Borden Lake
What is the water quality grade for Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Borden Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Borden Lake?
- Borden Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Borden Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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