Ann Lake

Ann Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. The lake bottoms out at 17 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Ann Lake covers 653 acres alongside 11.4 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Kanabec County's 7 graded lakes, Ann Lake ranks 5 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ann Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Ann Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 65 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 16. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.