Lee Lake

Lee Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. 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. At only 14 ft deep, Lee Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Lee Lake is small — 21 acres alongside 1.1 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Among the 48 graded lakes in Dakota County, Lee Lake sits at rank 22, above the county median.

Lee Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Lee Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Lee Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Ice-out has been recorded 12 times at Lee Lake, with a median around Apr 1. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.