Tanager Lake

Tanager Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. 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.

At a TSI of 66, Tanager Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 23 ft puts Tanager Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. At 53 acres, Tanager Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Tanager Lake sits at rank 59 of 95 in Hennepin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Tanager Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Tanager Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Tanager Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.