Bowen Lake
Cass County, Minnesota182 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bowen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bowen Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 182.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2024 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Bowen Lake. DNR survey details →
Bowen Lake is a 182-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Bowen Lake ranks #94 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bowen Lake covers about 180 acres in Cass County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 15, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Bowen Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Bowen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
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 Bowen 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 Bowen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bowen 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 13.7 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.6µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bowen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bowen Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 68 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bowen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2024 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Bowen Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bowen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-12 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-12 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 83.21 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 28.18 | 5–9 in 2024-06-12 | 0.13 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 8.22 |
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.
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-06-12 survey
Bowen Lake (DOW # 11-0350, Lake Class 31) is 176-acres with a maximum depth of 25 feet and 49 littoral acres (less than 15 feet deep) located one mile southeast of Backus, Minnesota. Bowen Lake is on the Pine River a state Water Trail Canoe Route. There is a Minnesota DNR-owned public access on the south shore a half…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bowen Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BowenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bowen (1466)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BowenFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BowenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
182 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
49 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,306 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bowen 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 Bowen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bowen Lake in Cass 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 Bowen Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Bowen Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bowen Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 23
Earliest Nov 20, 2022 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 15
2025
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Bowen Lake
Where is Bowen Lake?
- Bowen Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bowen Lake?
- Bowen Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 182.17 acres.
Is Bowen 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 Bowen Lake?
- Bowen Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 68 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bowen Lake?
- Bowen Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 182.17 acres.
What fish are in Bowen Lake?
- Fish species found in Bowen Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bowen Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bowen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2024 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Bowen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bowen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bowen Lake thaw?
- Bowen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 222 days.
Are there boat ramps on Bowen Lake?
- Bowen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bowen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bowen Lake?
- Bowen 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 Bowen Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA21 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
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