Balm Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Balm Lake pulls an A: clarity at 11.0 ft and 17 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 44 places Balm Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. A maximum depth of 33 ft puts Balm Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 537 acres and 6.7 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Among the 86 graded lakes in Beltrami County, Balm Lake sits at rank 38, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Balm Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Balm Lake, one of 10 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 7 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 19. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.