Ek Lake

Ek Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. A maximum depth of 19 ft puts Ek Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 93 acres, with 2.4 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Ek Lake ranks 81 of 187 in St. Louis County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Ek Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 5, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.