Buffalo Lake

Buffalo Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Buffalo Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 38 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Buffalo Lake covers 418 acres alongside 7.6 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Buffalo Lake sits at rank 50 of 93 in Becker County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Buffalo Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 14 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 8 times at Buffalo Lake, with a median around Apr 18. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.