Lower Pauness Lake

Lower Pauness Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

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. Lower Pauness Lake reaches 36 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 171 acres, Lower Pauness Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.0 miles of shoreline. Lower Pauness Lake ranks 173 of 187 in St. Louis County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Lower Pauness Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 7 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. No formal public access is documented at Lower Pauness 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.