Little Comfort Lake

Little Comfort Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

At a TSI of 55, Little Comfort Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. Little Comfort Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 56 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 37 acres, Little Comfort Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within Chisago County's 33 graded lakes, Little Comfort Lake ranks 18 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Little Comfort 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. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.