Ash Lake

On the scoring rubric Ash Lake grades a D: clarity at 5.5 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for St. Louis County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 25 ft puts Ash Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 690 acres and 6.0 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Ash Lake ranks 196 of 215 in St. Louis County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ash Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 9 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Ash Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 7 times at Ash Lake, with a median around Apr 25. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.