Buck Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota495 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Buck Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Buck Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 495.06 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 3.11 walleye per gill net at Buck Lake. DNR survey details →
Buck Lake is a 495-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 31 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Buck Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Buck Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Buck 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 Buck Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Buck 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 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Buck Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Buck Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2016–2016) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Buck Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 3.11 walleye per gill net at Buck Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buck Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 36.70 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 33.26 | ||
| Bluegill | 20.06 | 3–9 in 2023-08-14 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.94 | 5–18 in 2023-08-14 | 0.81 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 9.61 | 6 in 2023-08-14 | 0.09 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
Largemouth Bass
Golden Shiner
From the 2023-08-14 survey
Buck Lake is a shallow, productive lake located north of Nashwauk, MN in the Mississippi River watershed. The lake is highly developed and has a small public access on the southwest side of the lake. Buck Lake supports a variety of species of aquatic vegetation with good habitat for panfish and Largemouth Bass. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Buck Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BuckFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buck (0627)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buck (2056)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BuckFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BuckPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Surface area
495 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
50 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,352 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Buck 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 Buck Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Buck Lake in Itasca 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 Buck Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Buck Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 7, 2024 · Latest May 8, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 13
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 1, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 7
2024
21 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Buck Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0069-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Buck Lake
Where is Buck Lake?
- Buck Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Buck Lake?
- Buck Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 495.06 acres.
Is Buck Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Buck Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Buck Lake?
- Buck Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2016). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Buck Lake?
- Buck Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 495.06 acres.
What fish are in Buck Lake?
- Fish species found in Buck Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Buck Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Buck Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 3.11 walleye per gill net at Buck Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buck Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Buck Lake thaw?
- Buck Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 13. The open water season is approximately 206 days.
Are there boat ramps on Buck Lake?
- Buck Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buck Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Buck Lake?
- Buck 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 Buck Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Itasca County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA42 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
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