Island Lake

On the scoring rubric Island Lake grades a D: clarity at 3.8 ft and 62 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Ramsey County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 61, Island Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. 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. Island Lake sits at rank 32 of 49 in Ramsey County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Island Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Island Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Island Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.