Fairy Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Fairy Lake at a C: clarity at 7.0 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 49 signal an intermediate trophic state. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI near 49 places Fairy Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake bottoms out at 19 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 109 acres, Fairy Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.3 miles of shoreline. Within St. Louis County's 187 graded lakes, Fairy Lake ranks 98 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Fairy Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Fairy Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Fairy Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.