Ima Lake

Ima Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. At 116 ft of maximum depth, Ima Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 742 acres, Ima Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 14.9 miles of shoreline. Ima Lake ranks 40 of 142 in Lake County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Ima Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Ima Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.