1
ABig Mcdonald Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 1.9 mi from Berger Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++11.4 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (11 vs 40 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Berger Lake
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Berger Lake carries a Grade C (Fair) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Big Mcdonald Lake (Otter Tail County, Grade A, 1.9 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
AKerbs Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 2 mi from Berger Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++22.7 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (7 vs 40 µg/L)
3
ALittle Mcdonald Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 2.3 mi from Berger Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++21.9 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (7 vs 40 µg/L)
4
ASybil Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 3.2 mi from Berger Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++15 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (9 vs 40 µg/L)
5
APaul Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 2.2 mi from Berger Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++8.3 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (15 vs 40 µg/L)
How this list is built
Every lake on LakeQuality has a calculated grade from EPA Water Quality Portal samples — secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measured against Metropolitan Council thresholds. To suggest cleaner alternatives, we filter lakes within 30 miles to those with a strictly higher numeric score, then rank by grade improvement with a small proximity tiebreak. Cross-state and limited-data lakes are excluded so the list stays locally relevant.