Sallie Lake
Sallie Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 1279.78 acres.
- Clarity
- 13 ft
- Typical in August
- 70°F
- Max depth
- 50 ft
- Area
- 1,280 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
Next lake in Becker County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Sallie Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Sallie Lake is a 1,280-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 50 feet (17-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Sallie Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. 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)
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus level: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Sallie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sallie 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
Sallie Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,066 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sallie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Sallie Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (42,462 cells/mL) on July 4, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft |
| Average Depth | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,280 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 45% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sallie 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
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-25 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 39.04 | 0.78 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 25.63 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 23.83 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluegill | 19.64 | 0.21 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 11.89 | — |
| BKF | 10.01 | — |
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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2024-07-25 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Sallie was conducted July 26th, 29th, and 30th, 2024, by Detroit Lakes Fisheries Staff. Data was collected from 18 sampling stations evenly spaced around the lake. All stations were sampled with a backpack electrofishing unit, 13 were sampled with a 50-foot seine and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sallie Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SallieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sallie (1229)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SallieFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SalliePublic 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 | +0.201 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.67 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.13 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (60 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2010-04-02 (2010) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-05-08
EPA Impairment Status
Sallie 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 MN03-0359-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Sallie Lake
What is the water quality grade for Sallie Lake?
- Sallie Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 1279.78 acres.
Is Sallie Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Sallie Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Sallie Lake?
- Sallie Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in August, from 1,066 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sallie Lake?
- Sallie Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet and an average depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 1279.78 acres.
What fish are in Sallie Lake?
- Fish species found in Sallie Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sallie Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
When does Sallie Lake thaw?
- Sallie Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18.
Does Sallie Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Sallie Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (42,462 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Sallie Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
251 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
MNPCA251 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)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate