Eagles Nest Lake

Eagles Nest Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in St. Louis County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 38 puts Eagles Nest Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake bottoms out at 49 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 1,028 acres, Eagles Nest Lake is one of the larger lakes in St. Louis County, with 16.3 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Among the 187 graded lakes in St. Louis County, Eagles Nest Lake ranks 3 — in the top quartile locally.

No invasive species are currently listed at Eagles Nest Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Eagles Nest Lake, one of 9 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Eagles Nest Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 18 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 29. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.