Ml-Garrison Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Ml-Garrison Lake grades a B, with clarity at 6.2 ft and 26 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Minnesota median. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. Ml-Garrison Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. With 128,250 acres of surface and 105.5 miles of shoreline, Ml-Garrison Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Ml-Garrison Lake ranks 22 of 53 in Aitkin County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Ml-Garrison Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. Muskie are on the species list at Ml-Garrison Lake, among the lake's 21 documented fish. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a long ice-out record — 105 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 25. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.