Elton Lake

Elton Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota 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. Elton Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 53 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 124 acres, Elton Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.3 miles of shoreline. Elton Lake ranks 136 of 142 in Lake County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Elton Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Elton Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Elton Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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.