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LakeQuality

Little Blake Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #51 of 55 lakes in the county · 3.5 ft clear · Eutrophic · 78 acres · from C
Eutrophic

Little Blake Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 78 acres.

Clarity
3.5 ft
Max depth
14 ft
Area
78 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Little Blake Lake

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Little Blake Lake is a 78-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 14 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 54 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Little Blake Lake ranks #51 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Elevated nutrients

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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Compare the safest swimming lakes near St. Paul

Get alerts for Little Blake Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 43.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 59.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus43.8 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)59Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Little Blake Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Blake Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin — 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Little Blake Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Little Blake Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Good · Shallow Lowland lake
Trophic State Index 58 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Little Blake Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth14 ft
Surface Area78 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
31 sq mi
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Elevation
1,142 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Little Blake LakePublic

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

Fishing Little Blake 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.

Banded Mystery SnailChinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf Pondweed

Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.446 m/yr3
Phosphorus Improving-11.5 µg/L/yr3

EPA Impairment Status

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

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005033 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.51 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #51 of 55 lakes in Polk County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Little Blake Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Polk County

Frequently asked questions about Little Blake Lake

Where is Little Blake Lake?

Little Blake Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Little Blake Lake?

Little Blake Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 78 acres.

Is Little Blake Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Little Blake Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Little Blake Lake?

Little Blake Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 78 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Little Blake Lake?

Little Blake Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Blake Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

20 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX20 samples · 2022–2025

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

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)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory