Fish Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Fish Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 67 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Fish Lake is a shallow lake at 8 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. The lake's 506 acres and 10.0 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Fish Lake ranks 6 of 7 in Kanabec County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Fish Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Fish Lake, one of 21 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Fish Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 14 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 19. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.