Pickeral Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Pickeral Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 77 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. At only 6 ft deep, Pickeral Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake's 588 acres and 5.7 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within the 4 graded lakes of Freeborn County, Pickeral Lake sits at rank 4, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Pickeral Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Pickeral Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Pickeral Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.