Caribou Lake

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

A TSI near 43 places Caribou Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Caribou Lake reaches 21 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 539 acres, Caribou Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.6 miles of shoreline. Among the 187 graded lakes in St. Louis County, Caribou Lake sits at rank 55, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Caribou Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Caribou Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 6 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 23. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.