Phalen Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Phalen Lake grades a B, with clarity at 9.8 ft and 30 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Minnesota median. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

A TSI near 49 places Phalen Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's 91 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 198 acres and 3.0 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Phalen Lake ranks 9 of 49 in Ramsey County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Phalen Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. Walleye are documented at Phalen Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The lake has a long ice-out record — 25 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 3. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.