US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsSurface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 59804441).
The red circle marks Bad Axe Lake.
Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.
Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.
Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.
Fish species found in Minnesota DNR lake surveys: Black crappie, Bluegill, Brown bullhead, Hybrid sunfish, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Sunfish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch.
Shallow (littoral) area: 125 of 303 acres
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Bad Axe Lake (DOW 29020800), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.
No public access sites are listed for this water in the Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) data.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 59804441), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
OpenStreetMap shows about 0.9 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Bad Axe Lake shoreline, mostly along the north shore.
The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.
Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.
We found 8 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Bad Axe Lake, 2 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.
Drinking water
Drinking water
Tent sites · Drinking water
Electric hookups · Showers · Dump station · Drinking water
All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota
Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.
Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.
Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (47.0856, -94.9472). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Bad Axe Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.
Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.
Reported on or near Bad Axe Lake
USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database
USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.
Bad Axe Lake covers about 265 acres in Clay, Minnesota (Hubbard County).
The maximum recorded depth is 39 feet and the mean depth is 19 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Black crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Brown bullhead and Hybrid sunfish and 3 more.
Yes. We list 8 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.
Bad Axe Lake touches Clay in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Know Bad Axe Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).
Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Clay