Tamarac Lake
Becker County, Minnesota1,178 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tamarac Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Tamarac Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1177.84 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2021 caught 3.89 walleye per gill net at Tamarac Lake. DNR survey details →
Tamarac Lake is a 1,178-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. 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, Tamarac Lake ranks #41 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Tamarac Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,178 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tamarac 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 Tamarac Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tamarac Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.2 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.2µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Tamarac Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Tamarac Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2023–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2021 caught 3.89 walleye per gill net at Tamarac Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tamarac Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-06-21 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2021-06-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 82.96 | ||
| Fathead Minnow | 66.65 | ||
| Bluegill | 27.16 | 2–9 in 2021-06-21 | 0.2 lb |
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
From the 2021-06-21 survey
Floyd (a.k.a., Big Floyd) Lake is a 1,212-acre lake located in Becker County two miles north of the city of Detroit Lakes. Floyd Lake's shoreline is heavily developed, and the lake receives a high amount of angling pressure and recreational use. Floyd Lake consists of two basins, the shallow larger main basin and the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tamarac Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FloydFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FloydFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FloydPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
1,178 acres
Shoreline
9.7 mi
Littoral zone
73%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Tamarac Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Tamarac Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Tamarac 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.87 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 12, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 7, 2019 · Latest Dec 5, 2009
Most recent ice-out
Apr 7
2025
33 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Tamarac Lake
Where is Tamarac Lake?
- Tamarac Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tamarac Lake?
- Tamarac Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1177.84 acres.
Is Tamarac Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Tamarac Lake?
- Tamarac Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Tamarac Lake?
- Tamarac Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 1177.84 acres.
What fish are in Tamarac Lake?
- Fish species found in Tamarac Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Tamarac Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tamarac Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2021 caught 3.89 walleye per gill net at Tamarac Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tamarac Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Tamarac Lake thaw?
- Tamarac Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 214 days.
Can I fish at Tamarac Lake?
- Public access to Tamarac Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Tamarac Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2023
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate