Brown Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota68 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Brown Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Brown Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 68.2 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2003 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Brown Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Brown Lake is a 68-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Brown Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Brown 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 Brown Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Brown Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Brown Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2003 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Brown Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Brown Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2003-07-21 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2003-07-21 (Standard Survey)
23 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.45 | 3–7 in 2003-07-21 | 0.09 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 10.35 | 7–12 in 2003-07-21 | 0.39 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.00 | 4–7 in 2003-07-21 | 0.2 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.72 | 4–5 in 2003-07-21 | 0.13 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.40 | 11–23 in 2003-07-21 | 1.5 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.36 | 5–9 in 2003-07-21 | 0.19 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
Yellow Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
From the 2003-07-21 survey
Brown lake is a small lake located eleven miles north of McGregor on the western side of Big Sandy Lake. The primary game fish species include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and northern pike. Fishing effort is light, mainly from shore anglers targeting bluegill. Winter angling is very light, mainly…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Brown Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BrownFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Brown (0116)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Surface area
68 acres
Shoreline
1.6 mi
Littoral zone
91%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,211 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Brown Lake
- Sandy Lake2.2 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Brown Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brown Lake in Aitkin 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 Brown Lake
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Follow Brown Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Brown Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Brown Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Uscoe Sandy LakeMcgregor · 1.4 mi away · NPDES MN0110035
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Brown Lake
Where is Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 68.2 acres.
Is Brown Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 68.2 acres.
What fish are in Brown Lake?
- Fish species found in Brown Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Brown Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Brown Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 21, 2003 caught 3.00 northern pike per gill net at Brown Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Brown Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Brown Lake?
- Public access to Brown Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Are there campgrounds on Brown Lake?
- Brown Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Sandy Lake. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA25 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles