Traders Bay Lake
Cass County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Traders Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- Public access
Traders Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L.
Traders Bay Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Traders Bay Lake ranks #71 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Traders Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 28
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. Traders Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Traders 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 Traders Bay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Traders 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 10 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Traders Bay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Traders Bay Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 83 field readings (2022–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Traders Bay Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Traders Bay Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Leech (Main Basin)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Recreation & Access
- Stony PointPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Traders Bay Lake
- Stony Point Recreation Area3.4 km
- Stony Point3.4 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Traders Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Traders 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 Traders Bay 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 →
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Fishing Traders Bay 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 28
Earliest Apr 9, 1945 · Latest May 23, 1950
Typical ice-in
Nov 14
Earliest Nov 13, 2018 · Latest Nov 25, 2021
Most recent ice-out
May 8
2022
74 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Traders Bay 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 MN11-0203-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Traders Bay Lake
Where is Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders 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 Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L.
Is Traders Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Traders Bay 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 Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders Bay Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 83 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
When does Traders Bay Lake thaw?
- Traders Bay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 28. Ice typically forms around Nov 14. The open water season is approximately 200 days.
Are there boat ramps on Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders Bay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stony Point. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders Bay 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.
Are there campgrounds on Traders Bay Lake?
- Traders Bay Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Stony Point Recreation Area, Stony Point. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Traders Bay Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX23 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate