Foot Lake

On the scoring rubric Foot Lake grades a D: clarity at 2.3 ft and 60 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Kandiyohi County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

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. Foot Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Foot Lake covers 503 acres alongside 6.2 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Foot Lake sits at rank 21 of 35 in Kandiyohi County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Foot Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 15 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Foot Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 9 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 3. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.