Becker Lake

Becker Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 52, Becker Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 20 ft puts Becker Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Becker Lake covers 221 acres alongside 5.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 55 graded lakes of Stearns County, Becker Lake sits at rank 44, near the bottom of the county list.

Becker Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 18 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. No formal public access is documented at Becker Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Ice-out has been recorded 5 times at Becker Lake, with a median around Apr 8. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.