Aerie Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Aerie Lake grades a B, with clarity at 11.5 ft and phosphorus readings still being added placing it above the Minnesota median. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Aerie Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Aerie Lake reaches 37 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 146 acres, Aerie Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.4 miles of shoreline. Aerie Lake ranks 72 of 215 in St. Louis County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Aerie Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Aerie Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Aerie Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Ice-out has been recorded 11 times at Aerie Lake, with a median around Apr 23. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.