Henshaw Lake

Henshaw Lake earns an F: 120 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 0.8 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 77 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. At only 8 ft deep, Henshaw Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Henshaw Lake covers 272 acres alongside 2.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 64 graded lakes of Wright County, Henshaw Lake sits at rank 63, near the bottom of the county list.

Henshaw Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. 3 fish species are on record, with panfish making up the recreational core. No formal public access is documented at Henshaw Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.