Ham Lake

Ham Lake earns a D — measurements through 2021 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At 53 ft of maximum depth, Ham Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 1,469 acres, Ham Lake is one of the larger lakes in Lake County, with 27.6 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Ham Lake ranks 120 of 142 in Lake County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Ham Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2021, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Ham Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Ham Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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.