Tamarack Bay Lake
Cass County, Minnesota56,471 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Tamarack Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 70 ft max depth
- Public access
Tamarack Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69.8 ft. Surface area: 56471.4 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on April 16, 2025 caught 6.06 walleye per gill net at Tamarack Bay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Tamarack Bay Lake is a 56,471-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 70 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 9 public boat landings. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Tamarack Bay Lake ranks #100 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Tamarack Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch9 documented ramps
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 27
- Deep water69.8 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water56,471 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Tamarack Bay 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 Tamarack Bay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Tamarack Bay 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 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.6µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Tamarack Bay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Tamarack Bay Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 102 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on April 16, 2025 caught 6.06 walleye per gill net at Tamarack Bay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tamarack Bay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
39 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-04-16 (Standard Survey).
39 surveys on file · most recent 2025-04-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 219.08 | 1–11 in 2025-04-16 | 0.19 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 109.89 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 22.18 | ||
| Walleye | 20.42 | 1–25 in 2025-04-16 | 1.19 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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2025-04-16 survey
Lake Winnibigoshish, otherwise known as Winnie or Big Winnie, is a large reservoir located immediately north of the community of Bena, Minnesota. Winnie was a natural lake that was impounded in the 1880's with a dam controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Today the USACE maintains water levels within a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Tamarack Bay Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WinnibigoshishFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Winnibigoshish (0702)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WinnibigoshishFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WinnibigoshishPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
69.8 ft
Average depth
15.1 ft
Surface area
56,471 acres
Shoreline
69.8 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Plughat PointPublic
- BirchesPublic
- Tamarack PointPublic
- South McAvity BayPublic
- Lake Winnibigoshish Recreation AreaPublic
- Sunset TrailSemi-private
Showing 6 of 9 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Tamarack Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tamarack Bay Lake in Cass 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 Tamarack Bay Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Tamarack Bay Lake
- → Tamarack Bay Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Tamarack Bay Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Tamarack Bay Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Tamarack Bay 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.6 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 27
Earliest Mar 30, 2012 · Latest May 17, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 29
2025
32 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Tamarack Bay Lake
Where is Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69.8 ft. Surface area: 56471.4 acres.
Is Tamarack Bay 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 Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 102 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake has a maximum depth of 69.8 feet and an average depth of 15.1 feet. The lake covers 56471.4 acres.
What fish are in Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Fish species found in Tamarack Bay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Tamarack Bay Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on April 16, 2025 caught 6.06 walleye per gill net at Tamarack Bay Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Tamarack Bay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Tamarack Bay Lake thaw?
- Tamarack Bay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 27.
Are there boat ramps on Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake has 9 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Plughat Point, Birches, Tamarack Point, South McAvity Bay, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tamarack Bay Lake?
- Tamarack Bay Lake has 9 documented boat landings 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 Tamarack Bay Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cass County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX46 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate