1
BBadger Lake
Polk County, Minnesota · 9.6 mi from Hill River Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (D → B)
- ++2.1 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (27 vs 95 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Hill River Lake
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Hill River Lake carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Badger Lake (Polk County, Grade B, 9.6 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
CUff Lake
Polk County, Minnesota · 5.8 mi from Hill River Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- +Lower phosphorus (35 vs 95 µg/L)
3
CTurtle Lake
Polk County, Minnesota · 7.5 mi from Hill River Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- +Lower phosphorus (56.5 vs 95 µg/L)
4
CWhitefish Lake
Polk County, Minnesota · 9.3 mi from Hill River Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- +Lower phosphorus (42.5 vs 95 µg/L)
5
DStore Lake
Polk County, Minnesota · 3.2 mi from Hill River Lake
- +Higher overall water quality score
- ++2.3 ft water clarity
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.