What is the cleanest lake near North Turtle Lake?

Elbow Lake in Otter Tail County holds a Grade A water quality score and is 1.9 miles from North Turtle Lake.

Why is North Turtle Lake not Grade A?

North Turtle Lake holds Grade D, with about 3.8 ft of water clarity and 63 µg/L of phosphorus. The grade reflects measured water quality against Metropolitan Council thresholds. Cleaner alternatives nearby score higher on clarity, phosphorus, or chlorophyll-a.

Are these recommendations based on real data?

Yes. Every grade is calculated from EPA Water Quality Portal samples for the lake. Recommendations are limited to lakes within 30 miles of North Turtle Lake in Minnesota, with strictly higher numeric grade scores and sufficient monitoring data.

Cleaner Lakes Than North Turtle Lake, Top 5 Within 30 Miles, LakeQuality

Cleaner Lakes Than North Turtle Lake

5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.

North Turtle Lake carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Elbow Lake (Otter Tail County, Grade A, 1.9 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.

Elbow Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 1.9 mi from North Turtle Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++14.7 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (11 vs 63 µg/L)

Silver Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 2.5 mi from North Turtle Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++7.5 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (15 vs 63 µg/L)

Round Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 4.2 mi from North Turtle Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++7.8 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (18 vs 63 µg/L)

South Turtle Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 1.9 mi from North Turtle Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
++10.3 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (20 vs 63 µg/L)

Deer Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 3.9 mi from North Turtle Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
++7.7 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (21 vs 63 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.