Cattyman Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Cattyman Lake at a C: clarity at 7.0 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 49 signal an intermediate trophic state. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Cattyman Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. At only 9 ft deep, Cattyman Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake is compact at 17 acres, with 0.9 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within Lake County's 142 graded lakes, Cattyman Lake ranks 103 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Cattyman Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Cattyman Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Cattyman 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.