Busties Lake

Busties Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Itasca County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. The lake bottoms out at 44 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 245 acres, Busties Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.8 miles of shoreline. Busties Lake ranks 52 of 141 in Itasca County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Busties Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 11 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.