Mill Lake

Mill Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Mill Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 40 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 451 acres, Mill Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.4 miles of shoreline. Within Douglas County's 51 graded lakes, Mill Lake ranks 27 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Zebra mussel presence at Mill Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Mill Lake, one of 15 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Mill Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 7 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 11. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.