Goose Lake

On the scoring rubric Goose Lake grades a D: clarity at 6.1 ft and 180 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Pope County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 65, Goose Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 17 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 324 acres, Goose Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 4.1 miles of shoreline. Within the 25 graded lakes of Pope County, Goose Lake sits at rank 20, near the bottom of the county list.

Goose Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2020, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 5, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.