Blue Lake

Blue Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. At 50 ft of maximum depth, Blue Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 70 acres, Blue Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Scott County's 24 graded lakes, Blue Lake ranks 14 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Blue Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery is bass-led, with 11 documented species across the lake's records. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.