Upper Red Lake: West

The LakeGrade rubric puts Upper Red Lake: West at a C: clarity at 6.6 ft, 39 µg/L of phosphorus, and a TSI of 53 signal an intermediate trophic state. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

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. Upper Red Lake: West reaches 15 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. With 119,294 acres of surface and 59.2 miles of shoreline, Upper Red Lake: West is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Within the 86 graded lakes of Beltrami County, Upper Red Lake: West sits at rank 82, near the bottom of the county list.

Starry stonewort has been recorded at Upper Red Lake: West — a relatively new invasive in Minnesota that forms dense, hard-to-remove mats. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 15 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. No formal public access is documented at Upper Red Lake: West — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Ice-out has been recorded 16 times at Upper Red Lake: West, with a median around Apr 29. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.