Balsam Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Balsam Lake grades a B, with clarity at 10.5 ft and phosphorus readings still being added placing it above the Minnesota median. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Balsam Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 37 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 716 acres, Balsam Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 10.3 miles of shoreline. Balsam Lake sits at rank 79 of 141 in Itasca County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Balsam Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 14 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.