Pine Lake
Pine Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8.9 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Becker County
Pine Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Pine Lake ranks #24 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Pine Lake water quality
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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)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Pine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pine 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
Pine Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 36 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pine Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Pine Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Pine Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.24 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.5 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Pine Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0241-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.55 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #24 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L.
Is Pine Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Pine Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Pine Lake?
- Pine Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 36 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pine Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pine Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Pine Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
55 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA55 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
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