Broadwater Bay Lake
Broadwater Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 5519.65 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.4 ft
- Max depth
- 54 ft
- Area
- 5,520 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 24
- Open water
- 215 days
Next lake in Cass County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Broadwater Bay Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Broadwater Bay Lake is a 5,520-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 54 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Broadwater Bay Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. 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 14.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Broadwater Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Broadwater Bay 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft |
| Surface Area | 5,520 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 30.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 35% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Woman Lake (Northeast)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Broadwater Bay 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-29 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 32.45 | 0.17 lb |
| Walleye | 30.64 | 1.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 12.78 | — |
| MMS | 7.72 | — |
| Bluegill | 5.91 | 0.2 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.26 | 1.19 lb |
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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2025-05-29 survey
Woman Lake (DOW# 11-0201; Lake Class 22) is a 5,520-acre lake with 1,953 littoral acres, 30.31 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 54 feet located southwest of Longville, Minnesota. Two DNR owned public accesses are located on the north shore. Child (11-0263) and Girl (11-0174) lakes are connected to Woman…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Broadwater Bay Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WomanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Woman (1613)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WomanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WomanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.107 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.56 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.41 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (49 observations).
Estimated open water season: 215 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-04-08 (2000) | 1996-05-08 (1996) |
| Ice-In | 1995-11-12 (1995) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2023-05-05
EPA Impairment Status
Broadwater Bay 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 MN11-0174-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.61 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #32 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Broadwater Bay Lake
What is the water quality grade for Broadwater Bay Lake?
- Broadwater Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 54 ft. Surface area: 5519.65 acres.
Is Broadwater Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Broadwater Bay Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Broadwater Bay Lake?
- Broadwater Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 54 feet. The lake covers 5519.65 acres.
What fish are in Broadwater Bay Lake?
- Fish species found in Broadwater Bay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern pike (silver phase), northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Broadwater Bay Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
When does Broadwater Bay Lake thaw?
- Broadwater Bay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 215 days.
Are there boat ramps on Broadwater Bay Lake?
- Broadwater Bay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Woman Lake (Northeast). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Broadwater Bay Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
108 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
MNPCA108 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)
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