Brown Marsh Lake
Lyon County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic
Brown Marsh Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.
Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Within the 5 graded lakes of Lyon County, Brown Marsh Lake sits at rank 5, near the bottom of the county list.
Brown Marsh Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Brown Marsh Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. 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.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 98 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | 98 µg/L | F |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 5 lakes in Lyon County
Nearby Lakes in Lyon County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Brown Marsh Lake
Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2023-08-28
Monitoring stations: 1