Mina Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Mina Lake pulls an A: clarity at 16.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 37 puts Mina Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 123 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Mina Lake covers 411 acres alongside 6.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Mina Lake ranks 6 of 51 in Douglas County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Zebra mussel presence at Mina Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Mina Lake's fishery is anchored by muskellunge, with 18 documented species in total — a destination water for muskie anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 5 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 20. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.