Benedict Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Benedict Lake pulls an A: clarity at 11.0 ft and 9 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

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's 91 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Benedict Lake covers 464 acres alongside 3.8 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Among the 77 graded lakes in Hubbard County, Benedict Lake sits at rank 34, above the county median.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Benedict Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. Benedict Lake's fishery is anchored by muskellunge, with 16 documented species in total — a destination water for muskie anglers. A documented public access point at Benedict Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 8 observed ice-outs, centered near May 3. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.