1
CPerch Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota · 4.9 mi from Hawksnest Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- ++2.7 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (56 vs 213 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Hawksnest Lake
2 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Hawksnest Lake carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 2 lakes hold a higher grade. Perch Lake (Lincoln County, Grade C, 4.9 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
DShaokotan Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota · 8.9 mi from Hawksnest Lake
- +Higher overall water quality score
- +Lower phosphorus (51.5 vs 213 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.