Mesotrophic Lakes: Moderate Nutrient Lakes

Most well-managed working lakes register as mesotrophic — the band that balances productivity with clarity. 100 lakes in the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. 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 sit in the middle of the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a range: productive but still clear, with readings that rarely reach the EPA's poorest condition class.

Lake	County	State	Clarity	Depth
Crane Lake	Otter Tail	MN	9 ft	43 ft
Lobster Lake	Douglas	MN	13 ft	65 ft
Clearwater Lake	Wright	MN	9.8 ft	73 ft
Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	MN	13 ft	54 ft
Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	MN	10 ft	65 ft
Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	13 ft	89 ft
North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	15.1 ft	97 ft
Mud Lake	Becker	MN	12.5 ft	34 ft
Big Lake	Beltrami	MN	9.7 ft	35 ft
Big Lake	Carlton	MN	10 ft	25 ft
Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	13.6 ft	48 ft
Big Lake	St. Louis	MN	8.2 ft	22 ft
Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	16.4 ft	55 ft
Birch Lake	Ramsey	MN	5.9 ft	-
Birch Lake	Wright	MN	15 ft	52 ft
Birch Lake	Cass	MN	14 ft	45 ft
Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	13.5 ft	51 ft
Round Lake	Otter Tail	MN	11.2 ft	24 ft
Round Lake	Becker	MN	10 ft	69 ft
Round Lake	Anoka	MN	8.9 ft	-
Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	14.4 ft	138 ft
Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	MN	12.5 ft	30 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	MN	14.4 ft	56 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	8.9 ft	12 ft
Horseshoe Lake	Isanti	MN	3.5 ft	-
Farm Lake	Lake	MN	5.5 ft	56 ft
Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	14.1 ft	111 ft
Long Lake	Stearns	MN	13.5 ft	28 ft
Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	10.5 ft	46 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	12.3 ft	128 ft
Long Lake	Hubbard	MN	11.2 ft	135 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	12.1 ft	88 ft
Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	10 ft	83 ft
Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	11.6 ft	73 ft
Dead Lake	Otter Tail	MN	10.2 ft	65 ft
Unnamed Lake	Crow Wing	MN	6.6 ft	-
Unnamed Lake	Nicollet	MN	5.6 ft	35 ft
Unnamed Lake	Sherburne	MN	13 ft	43 ft
Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	14.1 ft	78 ft
West Twin Lake	Cook	MN	9.8 ft	37 ft
Shallow Lake	Hubbard	MN	8.2 ft	10 ft
Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	14 ft	89 ft
Sallie Lake	Becker	MN	13 ft	50 ft
Deer Lake	Beltrami	MN	11 ft	42 ft
Deer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	12.3 ft	26 ft
Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	8.9 ft	50 ft
Deer Lake	Hubbard	MN	12.8 ft	9 ft
Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	14.8 ft	95 ft
Twin Lake	Washington	MN	13 ft	-
Otter Lake	Ramsey	MN	11.5 ft	21 ft
Lida Lake	Otter Tail	MN	14 ft	58 ft
Five Island Lake	Itasca	MN	13 ft	33 ft
Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	10 ft	38 ft
Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	12.3 ft	40 ft
Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	15 ft	24 ft
Clear Lake	Washington	MN	14 ft	27 ft
Garden Lake	Lake	MN	5 ft	55 ft
Marion Lake	Dakota	MN	7 ft	21 ft
Sullivan Lake	Morrison	MN	10.8 ft	57 ft
Emerald Lake	Beltrami	MN	9.5 ft	-
Vermont Lake	Douglas	MN	14.1 ft	59 ft
Eagle Lake	Hubbard	MN	11.2 ft	77 ft
Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	6.9 ft	67 ft
Darling Lake	Douglas	MN	14 ft	62 ft
Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	MN	12 ft	-
Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	16.4 ft	106 ft
Ida Lake	Becker	MN	12.1 ft	20 ft
Ida Lake	Wright	MN	13.1 ft	60 ft
Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	17 ft	94 ft
Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	17.2 ft	76 ft
Fish Lake	Chisago	MN	9.4 ft	57 ft
Sand Lake	Itasca	MN	13.2 ft	60 ft
Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	10 ft	36 ft
Norway Lake	Cass	MN	6.9 ft	12 ft
Union Lake	Polk	MN	15 ft	-
Snail Lake	Ramsey	MN	11 ft	30 ft
Shell Lake	Becker	MN	7.3 ft	16 ft
Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	15.1 ft	60 ft
Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	14.1 ft	110 ft
Green Lake	Beltrami	MN	12 ft	-
Upper Gull Lake	Cass	MN	9.5 ft	54 ft
Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	15 ft	65 ft
Leech Lake	Cass	MN	12.5 ft	-
Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	13 ft	27 ft
Bass Lake	Wright	MN	13.5 ft	34 ft
Bass Lake	Mahnomen	MN	13.1 ft	26 ft
Bass Lake	Becker	MN	12.8 ft	48 ft
Island Lake	Cass	MN	15.5 ft	45 ft
Island Lake	Becker	MN	15 ft	38 ft
Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	10.5 ft	65 ft
Island Lake	Cass	MN	8.2 ft	-
Island Lake	Clearwater	MN	14.1 ft	58 ft
Moose Lake	Wright	MN	14.4 ft	43 ft
Moose Lake	Itasca	MN	8 ft	52 ft
Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	15.5 ft	35 ft
Crooked Lake	Douglas	MN	14 ft	35 ft
Crooked Lake	Lake	MN	3 ft	4 ft
Crooked Lake	Cass	MN	12 ft	74 ft
Portage Lake	Cook	MN	8.5 ft	55 ft
Portage Lake	Crow Wing	MN	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 United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers, representing 5% of all measured lakes.