Deer Lake

On the scoring rubric Deer Lake grades a D: clarity at 5.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Wright County.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 27 ft puts Deer Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Deer Lake covers 171 acres alongside 2.1 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Deer Lake sits at rank 36 of 64 in Wright County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Deer Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 17 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Deer Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.