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B

Glawe Lake

Becker County, MinnesotaMesotrophic

Glawe Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

A TSI near 47 places Glawe Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Glawe Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 121 acres, Glawe Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 1.9 miles of shoreline. Within Becker County's 93 graded lakes, Glawe Lake ranks 57 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Glawe Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Glawe 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 2020-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Water Quality Grade: B, Good

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 23 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)9.2 ftC
Phosphorus23 µg/LB
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)47Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth24 ft
Surface Area120.91 acres
Shoreline Length1.9 mi
Littoral Zone70%
Public AccessNo

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

flowering rushzebra mussel

Water Quality Trend: Declining

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.215 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+0.55 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #57 of 93 lakes in Becker County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Glawe Lake holds Grade B. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Becker County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1970-07-09 (Standard Survey).

From the 1970-07-09 survey

Curfman Lake, or Deadshot Bay as it is more commonly known by area residents, is a part of Detroit Lake. There is no obstacle to block the movement of fish between the two lakes. Curfman Lake provides some of the best nursery and spawning habitat found on Detroit Lake for numerous fish species. The lake is most…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

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

EPA Impairment Status

Glawe Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0360-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.06 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Most recent sample: 2020-09-22

Monitoring stations: 1