Cherry Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Cherry Lake pulls an A: clarity at 22.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Minnesota.

Trophically, Cherry Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake bottoms out at 30 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Cherry Lake is small — 19 acres alongside 1.1 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Cherry Lake ranks 16 of 142 in Lake County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Cherry Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Cherry Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.