Rifle Lake

On the scoring rubric Rifle Lake grades a D: clarity at 4.8 ft and phosphorus readings still being added keep it in the lower bracket for Lake County. 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. A maximum depth of 37 ft puts Rifle Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. At 904 acres, Rifle Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 19.0 miles of shoreline. Rifle Lake ranks 128 of 142 in Lake County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Rifle Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2022, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Rifle Lake, one of 10 fish species on record for the lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.