Mesotrophic

Mesotrophic Lakes Across 38 States

Moderate nutrients, good water quality. 100 lakes (24% of all graded lakes).

Most well-managed working lakes register as mesotrophic — the band that balances productivity with clarity. 100 lakes in the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers sit in the mesotrophic band. About 47% are deep (50+ ft); the rest are shallower basins where watershed management keeps nutrients from pushing the system into eutrophy.

Mesotrophic lakes tend to grade B or C on our A–F scale — the productive-but-clear band lines up with the middle of the letter grades.

Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic Hypereutrophic

Lake	County	State	Grade	Clarity	Depth
Crane Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	9 ft	43 ft
Lobster Lake	Douglas	MN	A	13 ft	65 ft
Clearwater Lake	Wright	MN	A	9.8 ft	73 ft
Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	13 ft	54 ft
Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	10 ft	65 ft
Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	13 ft	89 ft
North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
Mud Lake	Becker	MN	A	12.5 ft	34 ft
Big Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	9.7 ft	35 ft
Big Lake	Carlton	MN	A	10 ft	25 ft
Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	A	13.6 ft	48 ft
Big Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	8.2 ft	22 ft
Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
Birch Lake	Ramsey	MN	A	5.9 ft	-
Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	15 ft	52 ft
Birch Lake	Cass	MN	A	14 ft	45 ft
Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
Round Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	11.2 ft	24 ft
Round Lake	Becker	MN	A	10 ft	69 ft
Round Lake	Anoka	MN	A	8.9 ft	-
Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	12.5 ft	30 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	14.4 ft	56 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	8.9 ft	12 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Isanti	MN	A	3.5 ft	-
Farm Lake	Lake	MN	A	5.5 ft	56 ft
Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	14.1 ft	111 ft
Long Lake	Stearns	MN	A	13.5 ft	28 ft
Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	10.5 ft	46 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	12.3 ft	128 ft
Long Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	11.2 ft	135 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	12.1 ft	88 ft
Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	10 ft	83 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	11.6 ft	73 ft
Dead Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	10.2 ft	65 ft
Unnamed Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	6.6 ft	-
Unnamed Lake	Nicollet	MN	A	5.6 ft	35 ft
Unnamed Lake	Sherburne	MN	A	13 ft	43 ft
Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14.1 ft	78 ft
West Twin Lake	Cook	MN	A	9.8 ft	37 ft
Shallow Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	8.2 ft	10 ft
Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	A	14 ft	89 ft
Sallie Lake	Becker	MN	A	13 ft	50 ft
Deer Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	11 ft	42 ft
Deer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	12.3 ft	26 ft
Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	A	8.9 ft	50 ft
Deer Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	12.8 ft	9 ft
Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14.8 ft	95 ft
Twin Lake	Washington	MN	A	13 ft	-
Otter Lake	Ramsey	MN	A	11.5 ft	21 ft
Lida Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	14 ft	58 ft
Five Island Lake	Itasca	MN	A	13 ft	33 ft
Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	A	10 ft	38 ft
Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	12.3 ft	40 ft
Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	15 ft	24 ft
Clear Lake	Washington	MN	A	14 ft	27 ft
Garden Lake	Lake	MN	A	5 ft	55 ft
Marion Lake	Dakota	MN	A	7 ft	21 ft
Sullivan Lake	Morrison	MN	A	10.8 ft	57 ft
Emerald Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	9.5 ft	-
Vermont Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14.1 ft	59 ft
Eagle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	11.2 ft	77 ft
Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	6.9 ft	67 ft
Darling Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14 ft	62 ft
Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	12 ft	-
Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
Ida Lake	Becker	MN	A	12.1 ft	20 ft
Ida Lake	Wright	MN	A	13.1 ft	60 ft
Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	17 ft	94 ft
Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
Fish Lake	Chisago	MN	A	9.4 ft	57 ft
Sand Lake	Itasca	MN	A	13.2 ft	60 ft
Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	10 ft	36 ft
Norway Lake	Cass	MN	A	6.9 ft	12 ft
Union Lake	Polk	MN	A	15 ft	-
Snail Lake	Ramsey	MN	A	11 ft	30 ft
Shell Lake	Becker	MN	A	7.3 ft	16 ft
Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	14.1 ft	110 ft
Green Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	12 ft	-
Upper Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	9.5 ft	54 ft
Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	15 ft	65 ft
Leech Lake	Cass	MN	A	12.5 ft	-
Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	13 ft	27 ft
Bass Lake	Wright	MN	A	13.5 ft	34 ft
Bass Lake	Mahnomen	MN	A	13.1 ft	26 ft
Bass Lake	Becker	MN	A	12.8 ft	48 ft
Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	15.5 ft	45 ft
Island Lake	Becker	MN	A	15 ft	38 ft
Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	8.2 ft	-
Island Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	14.1 ft	58 ft
Moose Lake	Wright	MN	A	14.4 ft	43 ft
Moose Lake	Itasca	MN	A	8 ft	52 ft
Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	15.5 ft	35 ft
Crooked Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14 ft	35 ft
Crooked Lake	Lake	MN	A	3 ft	4 ft
Crooked Lake	Cass	MN	A	12 ft	74 ft
Portage Lake	Cook	MN	A	8.5 ft	55 ft
Portage Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	11.5 ft	37 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mesotrophic lake?

Moderate nutrients, good water quality. There are 100 mesotrophic lakes across the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers, representing 24% of all graded lakes.