Cameron Lake

Cameron Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. At only 9 ft deep, Cameron Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Cameron Lake covers 225 acres alongside 2.8 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 20 graded lakes of Polk County, Cameron Lake sits at rank 20, near the bottom of the county list.

Cameron Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Cameron Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Cameron 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.