Burgen Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota174 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Burgen Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Burgen Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 174.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Burgen Lake. DNR survey details →
Burgen Lake is a 174-acre mesotrophic lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet (31-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 36 other monitored lakes in Douglas County, Burgen Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Burgen Lake covers about 170 acres in Douglas County. The median ice-out date is April 7, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Burgen Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Burgen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 7
- Deep water43 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. Burgen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Burgen 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 Burgen Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Burgen 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. Phosphorus 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.3 µg/L. TSI 43.
| 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 | 14.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.3µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Burgen Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Burgen Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burgen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 99.05 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 25.98 | 2–18 in 2025-07-28 | 0.87 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.36 | 3–8 in 2025-07-28 | 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2025-07-28 survey
Lake Burgen is a 174-acre moderately fertile basin located on the southeast corner of Alexandria in Douglas County. The lake has a relatively unique basin morphology with steep shoreline breaks and limited shallow water area. Maximum and mean depths are approximately 43 and 31 feet, respectively. Lake Burgen lies…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Burgen Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BurgenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BurgenFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BurgenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Average depth
31 ft
Surface area
174 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Burgen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Burgen Lake in Douglas 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 Burgen Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Burgen 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 (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 7
Earliest Mar 22, 2016 · Latest Apr 25, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Apr 25
2023
5 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Burgen 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 MN21-0049-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Burgen Lake
Where is Burgen Lake?
- Burgen Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Burgen Lake?
- Burgen Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 174.39 acres.
Is Burgen Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Burgen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Burgen Lake?
- Burgen Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet and an average depth of 31 feet. The lake covers 174.39 acres.
What fish are in Burgen Lake?
- Fish species found in Burgen Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Burgen Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Burgen Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per gill net at Burgen Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burgen Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Burgen Lake thaw?
- Burgen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 7.
Can I fish at Burgen Lake?
- Public access to Burgen 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.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate