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. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 54, Prairie Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. 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. Prairie Lake ranks 130 of 141 in Itasca County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Prairie Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. 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. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.