1
CBde Maka Ska Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota · 2.6 mi from Powderhorn Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- ++9.4 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (86 vs 155 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Powderhorn Lake
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Powderhorn Lake carries a Grade F (Very Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Bde Maka Ska Lake (Hennepin County, Grade C, 2.6 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
CSpring Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota · 2.8 mi from Powderhorn Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- ++1.8 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (7.1 vs 155 µg/L)
3
CLake of the Isles
Hennepin County, Minnesota · 2.6 mi from Powderhorn Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- ++3.6 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (51.5 vs 155 µg/L)
4
CHarriet Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota · 3 mi from Powderhorn Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (F → C)
- ++9.2 ft water clarity
5
DNokomis Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota · 2.3 mi from Powderhorn Lake
- +Higher grade (F → D)
- ++1.8 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (67 vs 155 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.