Chippewa Lake
Douglas County, MinnesotaMesotrophic
Chippewa Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Douglas County. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.
Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Chippewa Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Chippewa Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 95 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. Chippewa Lake covers 1,186 acres alongside 14.2 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 51 graded lakes in Douglas County, Chippewa Lake ranks 2 — in the top quartile locally.
Chippewa Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Walleye are documented at Chippewa Lake, one of 19 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Track Chippewa Lake
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | A |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 95 ft |
| Average Depth | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres |
| Shoreline Length | 14.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 46% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fish Species
Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.
→ Best fishing times for Chippewa Lake (14-day solunar calendar)
→ Is it safe to eat fish from Chippewa Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
→ Chippewa Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
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: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.23 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.4 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (6 observations).
Estimated open water season: 234 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2004-04-07 (2004) | 2002-04-16 (2002) |
| Ice-In | 2003-11-29 (2003) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2004-04-07
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 51 lakes in Douglas County
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Chippewa Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Chippewa Lake With Nearby Lakes
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 19.83 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 19.73 | 0.9 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.66 | — |
| Walleye | 6.92 | 1.69 lb |
| IOD | 4.64 | — |
| TPM | 4.50 | — |
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Walleye
From the 2025-08-04 survey
Chippewa Lake (also commonly referred to as Big Chippewa Lake) is a 1,185 acre moderately productive basin located northeast of Brandon in Douglas County. This lake is relatively deep with a maximum depth of 95 feet. Mean depth is estimated at 24 feet. Chippewa Lake is located within the Chippewa River watershed and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Chippewa Lake. 3 reports on file.
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ChippewaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ChippewaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ChippewaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
EPA Impairment Status
Chippewa Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN21-0145-00 · Official waterbody report
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-09-15
Monitoring stations: 2