Duck Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Duck Lake pulls an A: clarity at 10.2 ft and 16 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. Duck Lake reaches 23 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 326 acres, Duck Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 2.9 miles of shoreline. Within Hubbard County's 77 graded lakes, Duck Lake ranks 40 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Duck Lake has at least one documented invasive species (faucet snail), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Duck Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 22 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 17. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.