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LakeQuality
D

Porter Lake

Blue Earth County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic

Porter Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Hypereutrophic conditions mean the lake is operating at the upper end of the productivity scale, with all the bloom risk that implies. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Among the 9 graded lakes in Blue Earth County, Porter Lake sits at rank 3, above the county median.

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

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-08-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 83 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)1.3 ftF
Phosphorus83 µg/LD
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)71Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #3 of 9 lakes in Blue Earth County

Nearby Lakes in Blue Earth County

State Parks Near Porter Lake

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2023-08-02

Monitoring stations: 1