Mink Lake

Mink Lake earns an F: 102 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 3.0 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. 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 in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. Mink Lake reaches 39 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 280 acres, Mink Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 5.8 miles of shoreline. Mink Lake ranks 55 of 64 in Wright County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Mink Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Mink Lake, one of 8 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. 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.