Hungry Jack Lake

Hungry Jack Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Cook County. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 34 puts Hungry Jack Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 71 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 474 acres and 8.4 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Hungry Jack Lake ranks 7 of 128 in Cook County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Hungry Jack Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 9 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Hungry Jack Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 16 observed ice-outs, centered near May 5. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.