Mud Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Mud Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 70 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Mud Lake ranks 95 of 97 in Otter Tail County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Mud Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Mud Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Mud Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.