Alice Lake

Alice Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. At 65 ft of maximum depth, Alice Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. Alice Lake is small — 41 acres alongside 1.1 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Among the 141 graded lakes in Itasca County, Alice Lake sits at rank 58, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Alice Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 12, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.