Venus Lake

Venus Lake earns an F: phosphorus readings still being added and clarity at 2.6 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Within the 51 graded lakes of Douglas County, Venus Lake sits at rank 49, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Venus Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Venus Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.