Deer Yard Lake

Deer Yard Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

A TSI near 46 places Deer Yard Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Deer Yard Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 343 acres, Deer Yard Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.1 miles of shoreline. Deer Yard Lake ranks 45 of 128 in Cook County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Deer Yard Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 2 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Deer Yard Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.