Sawbill Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Sawbill Lake at a C: clarity at 6.8 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 50 signal an intermediate trophic state.

A TSI near 50 places Sawbill Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake bottoms out at 45 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 834 acres, Sawbill Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 26.3 miles of shoreline. Within Cook County's 128 graded lakes, Sawbill Lake ranks 90 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Sawbill Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Sawbill Lake, one of 8 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Sawbill Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 11 observed ice-outs, centered near May 7. 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.