Million Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Million Lake at a C: clarity at 5.0 ft, 21 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 51 signal an intermediate trophic state. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

At a TSI of 51, Million Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 20 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 22 acres, Million Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Million Lake ranks 127 of 133 in Cass County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Million Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Million Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Million Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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.