Kabekona Bay Lake
Kabekona Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 103443.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 56°F
- Max depth
- 150 ft
- Area
- 103,444 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 28
- Open water
- 217 days
Next lake in Cass County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Kabekona Bay Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 95 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Kabekona Bay Lake is a 103,444-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 150 feet (19-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Kabekona Bay Lake ranks #76 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-07. 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 17.2 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Kabekona Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kabekona Bay Lake in Cass 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
Kabekona Bay Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 57°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°F) and coldest in Jun (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 230 field readings (2017–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Kabekona Bay Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 150 ft |
| Average Depth | 18.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 103,444 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 194.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 56% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Erickson's LandingPublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Kabekona Bay 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
33 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-14 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 260.48 | 0.21 lb |
| Walleye | 31.79 | 0.82 lb |
| MMS | 29.52 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 15.94 | — |
| TRP | 11.68 | 0.01 lb |
| BUB | 11.32 | 2.41 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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
MMS
Spottail Shiner
From the 2025-05-14 survey
Leech Lake is the third largest lake entirely within the boundaries of Minnesota and has approximately 112,000 surface acres. The lake has an irregular shape with a variety of large and small bays. The deepest area of the lake is in Walker Bay where depths approach 160 feet. Approximately 80% of the lake is less than…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kabekona Bay Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LeechFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Leech (1567)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LeechFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LeechPublic 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 | +0.489 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.19 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.38 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (231 observations).
Estimated open water season: 217 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-04-02 (2012) | 1950-05-23 (1950) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-20 (2018) | 1998-12-17 (1998) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-26
EPA Impairment Status
Kabekona Bay 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 MN11-0203-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.27 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #76 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Kabekona Bay Lake
What is the water quality grade for Kabekona Bay Lake?
- Kabekona Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 103443.8 acres.
Is Kabekona Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Kabekona Bay Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Kabekona Bay Lake?
- Kabekona Bay Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in August, from 230 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Kabekona Bay Lake?
- Kabekona Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 150 feet and an average depth of 18.5 feet. The lake covers 103443.8 acres.
What fish are in Kabekona Bay Lake?
- Fish species found in Kabekona Bay Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Kabekona Bay Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
When does Kabekona Bay Lake thaw?
- Kabekona Bay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 28. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Are there boat ramps on Kabekona Bay Lake?
- Kabekona Bay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Erickson's Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Kabekona Bay Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX23 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- 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