Del Clark Lake

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

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. A maximum depth of 30 ft puts Del Clark Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Del Clark Lake covers 156 acres alongside 4.4 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Among the 5 graded lakes in Yellow Medicine County, Del Clark Lake sits at rank 2, above the county median.

Del Clark Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 14 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. 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.