Winterhalter Lake

Winterhalter Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

At a TSI of 65, Winterhalter Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. A maximum depth of 27 ft puts Winterhalter Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Winterhalter Lake is small — 16 acres alongside 0.6 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Winterhalter Lake sits at rank 60 of 95 in Hennepin County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Winterhalter Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Winterhalter 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.