Pickerel Lake

Pickerel Lake earns a D — measurements through 2023 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. 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. A maximum depth of just 11 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. At 114 acres, Pickerel Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 2.5 miles of shoreline. Pickerel Lake sits at rank 21 of 36 in Dakota County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Pickerel Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 15, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. No formal public access is documented at Pickerel Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. 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.