Talcot Lake

Talcot Lake earns an F: 367 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 0.2 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 96 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. A maximum depth of just 6 ft means sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the water column whenever wind stirs the bottom — a classic shallow-lake dynamic. Talcot Lake covers 873 acres alongside 8.5 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Talcot Lake ranks 7 of 7 in Cottonwood County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Talcot Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2025, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Talcot Lake, one of 19 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Talcot 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.