Richardson Lake

Richardson Lake earns a D — measurements through 2024 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer.

At a TSI of 54, Richardson Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 47 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. The lake's 119 acres and 1.8 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Meeker County's 23 graded lakes, Richardson Lake ranks 13 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Richardson Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Richardson Lake, one of 10 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a long ice-out record — 28 observations on file, with a median ice-out around Apr 4. 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.