Caribou Lake

Caribou Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

A TSI near 46 places Caribou Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. A maximum depth of just 6 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. At 68 acres, Caribou Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Caribou Lake ranks 40 of 128 in Cook County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Caribou Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The lake's fish records list 1 species — a varied community without one dominant gamefish. No formal public access is documented at Caribou Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.