Bullhead Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota360 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bullhead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 40 ft max depth
- Limited data
Bullhead Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 360.04 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 1981 caught 5.50 walleye per gill net at Bullhead Lake. DNR survey details →
Bullhead Lake is a 360-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Bullhead Lake ranks #55 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-10-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bullhead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
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 Bullhead 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 Bullhead Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bullhead 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 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bullhead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bullhead Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 69°F) and coldest in Oct (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 128 field readings (2022–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 1981 caught 5.50 walleye per gill net at Bullhead Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-04 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.77 | 0.15 lb | |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.67 | 1.09 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 4.60 | 0.46 lb | |
| Bluegill | 4.20 | 0.29 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.33 | 1.66 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.20 | 0.21 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.
From the 2025-08-04 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Buck Lake, which is located wholly within the Leech Lake Reservation, on August 4th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bullhead Lake. 1 report 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
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
360 acres
Shoreline
5 mi
Littoral zone
19%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Bullhead Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Bullhead Lake
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Fishing Bullhead 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 (2022–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.03 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Bullhead Lake
Where is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 360.04 acres.
Is Bullhead 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 Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 128 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 360.04 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bullhead Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 1981 caught 5.50 walleye per gill net at Bullhead Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Bullhead Lake?
- Public access to Bullhead Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Bullhead Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Bullhead Lake
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX46 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder