Spike Lake

Spike Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. With clarity and phosphorus scored, the sub-grades cluster within a letter of each other, pointing to stable conditions rather than one specific stressor.

A TSI near 50 places Spike Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. At 80 acres, Spike Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Within the 40 graded lakes of Clearwater County, Spike Lake sits at rank 36, near the bottom of the county list.

Spike Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Spike Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Spike Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.