Wild Rice Lake

Wild Rice Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Wild Rice Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. 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. Wild Rice Lake ranks 13 of 33 in Carlton County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Wild Rice Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Wild Rice Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.