Rhine Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric Rhine Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 64 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

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. At only 8 ft deep, Rhine Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Rhine Lake covers 116 acres alongside 1.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Rhine Lake ranks 19 of 19 in Pine County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Rhine Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. 9 fish species are on record, with panfish making up the recreational core. No formal public access is documented at Rhine Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The lake has a partial ice record — 5 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 11. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.