Burgen Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Burgen Lake pulls an A: clarity at 12.0 ft and 15 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for 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.

A TSI near 42 places Burgen Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Burgen Lake reaches 43 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 174 acres and 2.7 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Burgen Lake ranks 20 of 51 in Douglas County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Burgen Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Burgen Lake, one of 18 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Burgen Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.