Mill Pond

Mill Pond earns a D — measurements through 2024 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. The lake bottoms out at 18 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Mill Pond is small — 18 acres alongside 0.8 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Within Scott County's 17 graded lakes, Mill Pond ranks 10 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

Mill Pond has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 11 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. No formal public access is documented at Mill Pond — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The lake has a partial ice record — 11 observed ice-outs, centered near Mar 26. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.