Fox Lake

Fox Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Becker County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 41 places Fox Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Fox Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 143 acres, Fox Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 2.4 miles of shoreline. Among the 93 graded lakes in Becker County, Fox Lake ranks 23 — in the top quartile locally.

Zebra mussel presence at Fox 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 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The lake has a long ice-out record — 45 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 14. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.