Mckusick Lake

Mckusick Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. At 49 acres, Mckusick Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Mckusick Lake sits at rank 48 of 83 in Washington County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Mckusick Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. 7 fish species are on record, with panfish making up the recreational core. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The lake has a partial ice record — 9 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 7. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.