Fall Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Fall Lake at a C: clarity at 5.6 ft, 21 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 50 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

At a TSI of 50, Fall Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. Fall Lake reaches 32 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Fall Lake covers 2,258 acres alongside 30.9 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Fall Lake sits at rank 95 of 142 in Lake County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Fall Lake has at least one documented invasive species (spiny waterflea), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. Walleye are documented at Fall Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Fall Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 129 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 28. 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.