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D

Fool Lake

Crow Wing County, MinnesotaLimited DataEutrophic

Fool 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. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Fool Lake ranks 120 of 120 in Crow Wing County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Fool Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Fool Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. 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.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Trophic State Index: 51.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)6 ftD
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)51Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-1.07 m/yr2

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (6 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 21
EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2015-04-05 (2015)2022-04-29 (2022)
Ice-In2014-11-14 (2014)2021-11-22 (2021)

Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-29

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #120 of 120 lakes in Crow Wing County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Fool Lake holds Grade D. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fool Lake. 1 report on file.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2022-09-11

Monitoring stations: 2