Lost Lake

Lost Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 73 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. At only 6 ft deep, Lost Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake is compact at 23 acres, with 0.8 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Lost Lake ranks 82 of 95 in Hennepin County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Lost 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 Lost Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Lost 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.