Margaret Lake

Margaret Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

At a TSI of 55, Margaret Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 26 ft puts Margaret Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. At 251 acres, Margaret Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.5 miles of shoreline. Within the 132 graded lakes of Cass County, Margaret Lake sits at rank 127, near the bottom of the county list.

Margaret 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 among the lake's 17 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The lake has a partial ice record — 16 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 17. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.