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LakeQuality

Boulder Lake

NR
Not yet rated
Limited Data

Boulder Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Mean depth
~17 ft est.
Public access
No

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Why Boulder Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Boulder Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.

Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.

Boulder Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 17 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-05-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake

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Water quality measurements for Boulder Lake

These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.

No clarity data.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples

Where to stay near Boulder Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Boulder Lake in Lake 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 Boulder Lake

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Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~17 ft est.
Public AccessNo

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Boulder Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
Surface area
259 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~17 ft est.
Shoreline
3.6 mi
Elevation
1,598 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.

Fishing Boulder Lake

EPA Impairment Status

Boulder Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0153-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.19 km)

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

Frequently asked questions about Boulder Lake

What is the water quality grade for Boulder Lake?

Boulder Lake in Lake County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Is Boulder Lake safe to swim in?

Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Boulder Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Boulder Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Boulder Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 17 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.

Where this data comes from

1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA1 sample · 2021

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
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