Goose Lake

Goose Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. Goose Lake is a shallow lake at 8 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. Goose Lake is small — 11 acres alongside 0.6 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Goose Lake sits at rank 69 of 95 in Hennepin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Goose Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery is panfish-dominated — bluegill, crappie, and sunfish among the 2 species documented for the lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.