Minnie-Belle Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota597 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Minnie-Belle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
Minnie-Belle Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 596.58 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Minnie-Belle Lake. DNR survey details →
Minnie-Belle Lake is a 597-acre mesotrophic lake in Meeker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 49 feet (32-foot average). Water clarity 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 18 other monitored lakes in Meeker County, Minnie-Belle Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Minnie-Belle Lake covers about 600 acres in Meeker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 14, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Minnie-Belle Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Minnie-Belle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 14
- Deep water49 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Minnie-Belle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Minnie-Belle Lake 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.
Water quality measurements for Minnie-Belle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Minnie-Belle Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Minnie-Belle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Minnie-Belle Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Minnie-Belle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Minnie-Belle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Minnie-Belle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-07 (Targeted Survey).
23 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 21.33 | 3–9 in 2025-07-07 | 0.18 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.94 | 7–19 in 2024-08-06 | 0.81 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 13.75 | 10–14 in 2025-07-07 | 1.07 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 12.26 |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-07-07 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Minnie-Belle Lake was conducted beginning on July 7th, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) 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,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Minnie-Belle Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Minnie-BelleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Minnie-Belle (1395)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Minnie-BelleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Minnie-BellePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
49 ft
Average depth
31.5 ft
Surface area
597 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
28%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,132 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake Minnie-BellePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Minnie-Belle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Minnie-Belle Lake in Meeker 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Minnie-Belle Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Minnie-Belle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Minnie-Belle Lake
- → Minnie-Belle Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Minnie-Belle Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Minnie-Belle Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Minnie-Belle Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.07 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.24 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 14
Earliest Mar 15, 2016 · Latest May 2, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 23
Earliest Nov 9, 2011 · Latest Dec 14, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 4
2020
26 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Minnie-Belle Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN47-0119-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Meeker County
Frequently asked questions about Minnie-Belle Lake
Where is Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake is a lake in Meeker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake in Meeker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 49 ft. Surface area: 596.58 acres.
Is Minnie-Belle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Minnie-Belle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet and an average depth of 31.5 feet. The lake covers 596.58 acres.
What fish are in Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Fish species found in Minnie-Belle 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. Minnie-Belle Lake is located in Meeker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 0.78 walleye per trap net at Minnie-Belle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Minnie-Belle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Minnie-Belle Lake thaw?
- Minnie-Belle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 223 days.
Are there boat ramps on Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Minnie-Belle. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Minnie-Belle Lake?
- Minnie-Belle Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.
Explore Minnie-Belle Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Meeker County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Compare Minnie-Belle Lake With Nearby Lakes
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Meeker County · 4.6 ft
Where this data comes from
83 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
MNPCA83 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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from 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