69-0470-00 Lake

69-0470-00 Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 45 places 69-0470-00 Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. 69-0470-00 Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 76 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. With 2,498 acres of surface and 48.9 miles of shoreline, 69-0470-00 Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Within St. Louis County's 187 graded lakes, 69-0470-00 Lake ranks 119 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

69-0470-00 Lake has at least one documented invasive species (spiny waterflea), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.