Pokegama Lake

Pokegama Lake earns an F: 170 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 2.0 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 73 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. A maximum depth of 25 ft puts Pokegama Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. With 1,521 acres of surface and 10.4 miles of shoreline, Pokegama Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Within the 19 graded lakes of Pine County, Pokegama Lake sits at rank 18, near the bottom of the county list.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Pokegama Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Pokegama Lake, one of 23 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Pokegama Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 9 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 12. 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.