1
AMiddle Cormorant Lake
Becker County, Minnesota · 1.4 mi from Nelson Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++8.6 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (13 vs 27 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Nelson Lake
4 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Nelson Lake carries a Grade C (Fair) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 4 lakes hold a higher grade. Middle Cormorant Lake (Becker County, Grade A, 1.4 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
ABig Cormorant Lake
Becker County, Minnesota · 2.7 mi from Nelson Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++17.8 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (15.5 vs 27 µg/L)
3
ATurtle Lake
Becker County, Minnesota · 3.1 mi from Nelson Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (C → A)
- ++16.5 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (8 vs 27 µg/L)
4
BIda Lake
Becker County, Minnesota · 2.8 mi from Nelson Lake
- +Higher grade (C → B)
- ++4.7 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.