Melissa Lake

Melissa Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Becker County. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Melissa Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Melissa Lake reaches 37 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. With 1,850 acres of surface and 7.0 miles of shoreline, Melissa Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Melissa Lake ranks 21 of 93 in Becker County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Melissa 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 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 8 times at Melissa Lake, with a median around Apr 16. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.