Hydes Lake

Hydes Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

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. The lake bottoms out at 18 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 222 acres, Hydes Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 2.5 miles of shoreline. Hydes Lake ranks 34 of 40 in Carver County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Hydes Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 8, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. 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.