East Bearskin Lake

On the LakeGrade scale East Bearskin Lake grades a B, with clarity at 14.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added placing it above the Minnesota median.

Trophically, East Bearskin Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. At 66 ft of maximum depth, East Bearskin Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. The lake's 593 acres and 13.7 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Among the 128 graded lakes in Cook County, East Bearskin Lake sits at rank 45, above the county median.

East Bearskin Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at East Bearskin Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.