Leven Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Leven Lake at a C: clarity at 4.9 ft, 31 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 54 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. A maximum depth of 33 ft puts Leven Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 282 acres and 2.6 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Pope County's 25 graded lakes, Leven Lake ranks 13 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Leven 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. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.