Fountain Lake

Fountain Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota.

A TSI above 70 puts Fountain Lake in hypereutrophic territory: visible blooms are common, and clarity rarely climbs even in early summer. At only 14 ft deep, Fountain Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. At 522 acres, Fountain Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 14.5 miles of shoreline. Among the 4 graded lakes in Freeborn County, Fountain Lake sits at rank 2, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Fountain Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 17 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Fountain Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 111 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 6. 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.