Fish Lake

Fish Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. 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. The lake's 57 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Fish Lake covers 319 acres alongside 3.3 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Chisago County's 31 graded waters, Fish Lake sits at rank 2, near the top of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Fish Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Fish Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been logged at Fish Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Apr 13 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.