Bear Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Bear Lake pulls an A: clarity at 17.4 ft and 10 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.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake bottoms out at 31 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 44 acres, Bear Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Bear Lake ranks 3 of 142 in Lake County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

No invasive species are currently listed at Bear Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 4, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. No formal public access is documented at Bear Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.