Blackface Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Blackface Lake at a C: clarity at 8.0 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 47 signal an intermediate trophic state.

A TSI near 47 places Blackface Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. A maximum depth of 18 ft puts Blackface Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 192 acres and 3.5 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Blackface Lake sits at rank 33 of 53 in Aitkin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Blackface Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery is panfish-dominated — bluegill, crappie, and sunfish among the 5 species documented for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 20 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 19. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.