Indianhead Lake
Hennepin County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic
Indianhead Lake earns an F: 110 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 1.6 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. 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 above 70 puts Indianhead Lake in hypereutrophic territory: visible blooms are common, and clarity rarely climbs even in early summer. 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. Indianhead Lake ranks 84 of 95 in Hennepin County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.
No invasive species are currently listed at Indianhead Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Indianhead 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. 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.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-09. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 110 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | 110 µg/L | F |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-19 (2012) | 2008-04-18 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2007-11-25 (2007) | 2012-11-25 (2012) |
Most recent ice-out: 2012-03-19
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #84 of 95 lakes in Hennepin County
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Indianhead Lake
Other Grade F Lakes in Minnesota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Indianhead Lake. 1 report on file.
- —Fish Stocking History — IndianheadFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2020-09-09
Monitoring stations: 1