Pine Island Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Pine Island Lake grades a B, with clarity at 14.5 ft and phosphorus readings still being added placing it above the Minnesota median. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 39 puts Pine Island Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Pine Island Lake reaches 26 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Pine Island Lake covers 238 acres alongside 3.2 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Pine Island Lake sits at rank 9 of 17 in Todd County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Pine Island Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Pine Island Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 14 times at Pine Island Lake, with a median around Apr 6. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.