Wellner-Hageman Reservoir

On the scoring rubric Wellner-Hageman Reservoir grades a D: clarity at 3.7 ft and 45 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Brown County. Chlorophyll-a is the limiting factor: even when clarity looks acceptable, the algal community drives the grade down.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake bottoms out at 24 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Wellner-Hageman Reservoir is small — 75 acres alongside 3.5 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Wellner-Hageman Reservoir ranks 2 of 7 in Brown County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Wellner-Hageman Reservoir — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 9 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Wellner-Hageman Reservoir makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.