Carrie Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Carrie Lake at a C: clarity at 4.5 ft, 23 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 52 signal an intermediate trophic state. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. Carrie Lake reaches 26 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 89 acres, Carrie Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Among the 35 graded lakes in Kandiyohi County, Carrie Lake sits at rank 12, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Carrie Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been logged at Carrie Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Apr 2 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. 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.