Dutch Lake

On the scoring rubric Dutch Lake grades a D: clarity at 4.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Hennepin County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

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 45 ft puts Dutch Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 175 acres and 3.2 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Dutch Lake sits at rank 55 of 104 in Hennepin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Dutch Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 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.