Mashkenode Lake

Mashkenode Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

At a TSI of 59, Mashkenode Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. At only 14 ft deep, Mashkenode Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Mashkenode Lake covers 128 acres alongside 2.7 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Mashkenode Lake sits at rank 140 of 187 in St. Louis County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Mashkenode Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2021, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 10 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.