Northwood Lake

Northwood Lake grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 90 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. 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. Northwood Lake ranks 91 of 95 in Hennepin County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Northwood Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Northwood Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. 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.