Pierz Lake

Pierz Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Pierz Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Pierz Lake reaches 34 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 189 acres, Pierz Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.3 miles of shoreline. Pierz Lake ranks 15 of 16 in Morrison County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Pierz Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Pierz Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a long ice-out record — 85 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 15. 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.