Knaus Lake

Knaus Lake earns an F: 126 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 2.5 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Knaus Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 216 acres, Knaus Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 4.5 miles of shoreline. Within the 55 graded lakes of Stearns County, Knaus Lake sits at rank 52, near the bottom of the county list.

Knaus Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Walleye are documented at Knaus Lake, one of 17 fish species on record for the lake. No formal public access is documented at Knaus Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.