Hospital Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Hospital Lake pulls an A: clarity at 18.0 ft and 11 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Among the 93 graded lakes in Becker County, Hospital Lake ranks 15 — in the top quartile locally.

No invasive species are currently listed at Hospital Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Hospital Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Hospital 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.