Ida Lake
Ida Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 631.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 20 ft
- Area
- 632 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 23
Next lake in Becker County
Ida Lake is a 632-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Ida Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-02. 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)
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus level: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Ida Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ida Lake in Becker 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.
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Water Temperature
Ida Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ida Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Ida Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (77,983 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft |
| Surface Area | 632 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 69% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake IdaPublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ida 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-09-06 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 54.88 | 0.19 lb |
| BCS | 35.20 | — |
| BNS | 21.12 | — |
| Yellow Bass | 17.51 | 0.85 lb |
| BKF | 15.14 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.48 | — |
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
Yellow Bass
From the 2023-09-06 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Ida Lake was conducted on September 6th-7th, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ida Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IdaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — IdaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — IdaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.174 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.63 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.55 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (8 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2005-04-13 (2005) | 2013-05-10 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-14 (2002) | 2002-11-14 (2002) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-05-02
EPA Impairment Status
Ida 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 MN03-0582-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Ida Lake
What is the water quality grade for Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 631.8 acres.
Is Ida Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Ida Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 631.8 acres.
What fish are in Ida Lake?
- Fish species found in Ida Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Ida Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
When does Ida Lake thaw?
- Ida Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23.
Does Ida Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Ida Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (77,983 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Ida Lake?
- Ida Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Ida. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
55 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA55 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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