Rebecca Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Rebecca Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 71 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI above 70 puts Rebecca Lake in hypereutrophic territory: visible blooms are common, and clarity rarely climbs even in early summer. A maximum depth of 15 ft puts Rebecca Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 82 acres, with 3.6 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within the 48 graded lakes of Dakota County, Rebecca Lake sits at rank 38, near the bottom of the county list.

Zebra mussel presence at Rebecca Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The fishery is panfish-dominated — bluegill, crappie, and sunfish among the 8 species documented for the lake. A documented public access point at Rebecca Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.