US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsFoster · Prior · Big Stone · Browns Valley · Ortonville, Minnesota — Big Stone County.
Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 122548488); shared with South Dakota, acreage is the whole lake.
The red circle marks Big Stone 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: Bigmouth buffalo, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Bluegill, Brown bullhead, Channel catfish, Common carp, Crappie, Freshwater drum, Golden redhorse, Green sunfish, Hybrid sunfish, Lake sturgeon, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Orangespotted sunfish, Quillback, Rock bass, Shorthead redhorse, Suckers, Sunfish, Walleye, White bass, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch.
Shallow (littoral) area: 4,795 of 11,984 acres
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Big Stone Lake (DOW 06015200), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.
Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 122548488), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
OpenStreetMap shows about 1.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Big Stone Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.
No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Big Stone Lake, Bonanza Public Water Access Site, 50 ft from a shoreline trail (Minnesota DNR water access data).
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 6 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Big Stone Lake, 3 of them within 5 miles. 2 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.
Electric hookups · Showers · Toilets · Dump station
Toilets · Drinking water
Electric hookups
RVs welcome
Showers
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 (45.4291, -96.7042). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Big Stone 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.
10 public access sites listed, 10 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.
| Site | Town | Owner | Type | Parking | Fee | Uses | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone Lake, #8 Public Water Access Site | Foster | City of Ortonville | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 66 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.3045, -96.4500 |
| Big Stone Lake, Bonanza Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 8 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.4472, -96.7134 |
| Big Stone Lake, Foster Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 28 trailer, 12 car | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.4147, -96.6764 |
| Big Stone Lake, Hornsteins Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 8 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.5154, -96.7549 |
| Big Stone Lake, Kanne Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 8 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating | 45.3554, -96.4753 |
| Big Stone Lake, Meadowbrook, SPK Rd Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 10 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.3854, -96.5349 |
| Big Stone Lake, Ortonville (N) Public Water Access Site | Foster | City of Ortonville | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 5 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.3191, -96.4588 |
| Big Stone Lake, W Meadow Brook Rd Public Water Access Site | Foster | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | Trailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock | 15 trailer | — | Fishing, Boating Restroom | 45.3802, -96.5148 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 45.3375, -96.4896 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 45.4018, -96.6186 |
Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)
Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.
Reported on or near Big Stone 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.
Big Stone Lake covers about 11,889 acres in Foster, Prior, Big Stone and Browns Valley, Minnesota (Big Stone County).
The maximum recorded depth is 16 feet and the mean depth is 11 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Walleye, Northern pike, Largemouth bass, White bass, Black crappie, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Channel catfish and Lake sturgeon and 16 more.
Yes. 10 public trailer launches are listed: Big Stone Lake, Foster Public Water Access Site, Big Stone Lake, #8 Public Water Access Site and Big Stone Lake, Ortonville (N) Public Water Access Site. Check posted fees and parking rules.
Yes. We list 6 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 3 of them within 5 miles.
Big Stone Lake touches Foster, Prior, Big Stone, Browns Valley and Ortonville in Big Stone County, Minnesota.
Know Big Stone 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 Foster