Where is Lake Benton?

Lake Benton is a lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Lake Benton?

Lake Benton has a maximum depth of 9.1 feet and an average depth of 6.7 feet. The lake covers 2659 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Benton?

Lake Benton has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Norwegian Creek (North), Norwegian Creek (South). Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Lake Benton?

Lake Benton has 2 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.

Lake Benton

Lincoln County, Minnesota2,659 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

9.1 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

2,659 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

15.9 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
9 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Lake Benton in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 9.1 ft. Surface area: 2659 acres.

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Lake Benton is a 2,659-acre lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet (7-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Lake Benton is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch2 documented ramps
Big water2,659 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Recreation use not supported

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Benton is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Lake Benton 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.

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Water quality measurements for Lake Benton

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lake Benton, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Lake Benton

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

9.1 ft

Average depth

6.7 ft

Surface area

2,659 acres

Shoreline

15.9 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

The depth above comes from a bathymetric survey of this lake, not from a regional estimate.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Norwegian Creek (North)Public
Norwegian Creek (South)Public

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Lake Benton

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Benton in Lincoln 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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Fishing Lake Benton

→ Lake Benton fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Benton is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Impaired biota (cause unknown)MercuryNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN41-0043-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County

Stay Lake1 ft clear · Hypereutrophic8.1 miView →Ash Lake9.6 miView →Shaokotan Lake3 ft clear · Eutrophic9.6 miView →Dead Coon Lake9.4 miView →Hawksnest Lake6.6 ft clear—View →Drietz Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Benton

Where is Lake Benton?: Lake Benton is a lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Benton?: Lake Benton in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 9.1 ft. Surface area: 2659 acres.
Is Lake Benton safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Benton is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Benton?: Lake Benton has a maximum depth of 9.1 feet and an average depth of 6.7 feet. The lake covers 2659 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Benton?: Lake Benton has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Norwegian Creek (North), Norwegian Creek (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Benton?: Lake Benton has 2 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.