Pulaski Lake
Wright County, MinnesotaOligotrophic
Pulaski Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.
A TSI value of 37 puts Pulaski Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. 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 Wright County's 64 graded waters, Pulaski Lake sits at rank 5, near the top of the local distribution.
Pulaski Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Pulaski Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Pulaski 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.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | 11.5 µg/L | A |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Invasive Species
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.244 m/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2022-04-11 (2022) | 2008-04-23 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2007-12-04 (2007) | 2022-12-19 (2022) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-11
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 64 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Pulaski Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pulaski Lake. 1 report on file.
- —Public Water Access Sites — Pulaski (main bay)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate
Most recent sample: 2024-09-27
Monitoring stations: 2