Blueberry Lake

Blueberry Lake earns an F: phosphorus readings still being added and clarity at 2.0 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed.

At a TSI of 67, Blueberry Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of just 6 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. Blueberry Lake covers 125 acres alongside 2.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Blueberry Lake ranks 183 of 187 in St. Louis County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Blueberry Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 8 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. 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.