Hunt Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Hunt Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 67 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier. 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. Hunt Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Hunt Lake covers 176 acres alongside 2.2 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within the 12 graded lakes of Rice County, Hunt Lake sits at rank 12, near the bottom of the county list.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Hunt Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 18, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 8 times at Hunt Lake, with a median around Apr 5. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.