Burntside Lake
Burntside Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 126 ft. Surface area: 7313.87 acres.
- Clarity
- 16 ft
- Typical in August
- 54°F
- Max depth
- 126 ft
- Area
- 7,314 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 30
- Open water
- 216 days
Next lake in St. Louis County
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. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 2 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus level: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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
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Water Temperature
Burntside Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 126 ft |
| Surface Area | 7,314 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 103.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 20% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- County Road 404Public
- County Road 88Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| RBS | 27.32 | 0.03 lb |
| Rock Bass | 6.97 | 0.2 lb |
| Walleye | 3.80 | 1.89 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.64 | 0.15 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.62 | 1.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.53 | 4.27 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
RBS
Rock Bass
Walleye
Bluegill
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.366 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.07 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (120 observations).
Estimated open water season: 216 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-28 (2012) | 1950-05-22 (1950) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-11 (2018) | 2001-12-28 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-05-12
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0118-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 68 lakes in St. Louis County
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Burntside Lake
What is the water quality grade for Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Burntside Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Burntside Lake?
- Burntside Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in August, 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.
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 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include County Road 404, County Road 88. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Burntside Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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