Jitterbug Lake

Jitterbug Lake earns a D — measurements through 2023 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. At only 5 ft deep, Jitterbug Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake is compact at 28 acres, with 1.4 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Jitterbug Lake ranks 137 of 142 in Lake County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Jitterbug Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Jitterbug Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Jitterbug Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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.