Oak Lake

Oak Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. 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. Oak Lake is a shallow lake at 11 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. At 333 acres, Oak Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 7.0 miles of shoreline. Oak Lake ranks 13 of 40 in Carver County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Oak Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 12 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. Ice-out has been recorded 5 times at Oak Lake, with a median around Mar 29. 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.