Burntside Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota7,314 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Burntside Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- spiny waterflea
- 126 ft max depth
- Public access
Burntside Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 126 ft. Surface area: 7313.87 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.07 walleye per trap net at Burntside Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Burntside Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 160 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Burntside Lake is a 7,314-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 126 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and burbot. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Burntside Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 7,300 acres, Burntside Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 5 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 30, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Burntside Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Burntside Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 30
- Deep water126 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water7,314 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Burntside Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Burntside 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 Burntside Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Burntside Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2µg/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. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Burntside Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Burntside Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 53°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 54°F) and coldest in May (about 47°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (47°F) to its warmest (54°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 490 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Burntside Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.07 walleye per trap net at Burntside Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burntside Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Bass | 6.97 | 3–7 in 2024-07-22 | 0.2 lb |
| Walleye | 3.80 | 10–23 in 2024-07-22 | 1.89 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.64 | 3–8 in 2024-07-22 | 0.15 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.62 | 6–20 in 2024-07-22 | 1.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.53 | 9–32 in 2024-07-22 | 4.27 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.
Rock Bass
Walleye
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2025-08-20 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Burntside Lake on August 20th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (lake Whitefish…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Burntside Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BurntsideFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Burntside (1511)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Burntside (1512)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BurntsideFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BurntsidePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
126 ft
Surface area
7,314 acres
Shoreline
103.5 mi
Littoral zone
20%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
58 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,365 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- County Road 408 BridgePublic
- Burntside Lake (North)Public
- County Road 404Public
- Burntside Lake (Northeast)Public
- County Road 88Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Burntside Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Burntside Lake in St. Louis 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 Burntside Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Burntside Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Follow Burntside Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Burntside 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 Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.07 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.17 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 30
Earliest Mar 28, 2012 · Latest May 22, 1950
Typical ice-in
Dec 2
Earliest Nov 11, 2018 · Latest Dec 28, 2001
Most recent ice-out
May 12
2022
120 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Burntside Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0118-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Burntside Lake
Where is Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 126 ft. Surface area: 7313.87 acres.
Is Burntside Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Burntside Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in September, from 490 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake has a maximum depth of 126 feet. The lake covers 7313.87 acres.
What fish are in Burntside Lake?
- Fish species found in Burntside Lake include black crappie, bluegill, burbot, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, rainbow smelt, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Burntside Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Burntside Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.07 walleye per trap net at Burntside Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Burntside Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Burntside Lake thaw?
- Burntside Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 30. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 216 days.
Are there boat ramps on Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include County Road 408 Bridge, Burntside Lake (North), County Road 404, Burntside Lake (Northeast), among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake has 5 documented boat landings 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 Burntside 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 St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Lake Vermilion Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Burntside Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Burntside Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
141 measurements from 6 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
MNPCA141 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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