Vanduse Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Vanduse Lake grades a B, with clarity at 11.0 ft and phosphorus readings still being added placing it above the Minnesota median.

A TSI near 43 places Vanduse Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Vanduse Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Vanduse Lake covers 240 acres alongside 5.7 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Vanduse Lake ranks 14 of 53 in Aitkin County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Vanduse Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 12, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 22 times at Vanduse Lake, with a median around Apr 20. 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.