Spring Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Spring Lake at a C: clarity at 4.9 ft, 28 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 53 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

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. The lake bottoms out at 35 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 134 acres, Spring Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 3.1 miles of shoreline. Among the 20 graded lakes in Polk County, Spring Lake sits at rank 8, above the county median.

Spring Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2020, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 12 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. 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.