Prairie Lake

On the scoring rubric Prairie Lake grades a D: clarity at 5.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Itasca County.

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. 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. Within the 141 graded lakes of Itasca County, Prairie Lake sits at rank 130, near the bottom of the county list.

Prairie Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Prairie Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Prairie Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.