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B

Cable Lake

Polk County, MinnesotaMesotrophic

Cable Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 46 places Cable Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Cable Lake is a shallow lake at 14 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. Cable Lake covers 194 acres alongside 6.2 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Polk County's 20 graded waters, Cable Lake sits at rank 2, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Cable Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Cable Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Cable Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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 2024-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Water Quality Grade: B, Good

Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 20 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)10.2 ftB
Phosphorus20 µg/LB
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)46Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth14 ft
Surface Area193.51 acres
Shoreline Length6.2 mi
Littoral Zone100%
Public AccessNo

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.45 m/yr3
Phosphorus Stable+0.05 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 20 lakes in Polk County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Cable Lake holds Grade B. One nearby lake has a higher grade.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Polk County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-20 (Standard Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Black Bullhead81.590.17 lb
Brown Bullhead8.750.34 lb
Yellow Perch5.250.24 lb
Black Crappie5.170.15 lb
Northern Pike4.792.14 lb
Bluegill4.670.3 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

From the 1990-08-20 survey

NORTHERN PIKE RECRUITMENT APPEARS SPORADIC ALTHOUG H ABUNDANCE IS AVERAGE FOR SIMILAR LAKE TYPES. GR OWTH RATES ARE RAPID AND AVERAGE WEIGHTS ARE ABOVE NORMAL (>4 LB.) FOR PIKE. THE INCREASING BLUE- GILL POPULATION EXHIBITS AVERAGE ABUNDANCE AND GOO D INDIVIDUAL GROWTH RATES. BLACK CRAPPIE NUMBERS ARE LOW BUT HAVE…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cable Lake. 2 reports on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Cable Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN60-0305-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.07 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Most recent sample: 2024-09-24

Monitoring stations: 2