What is the cleanest lake near Rachel Lake?

Blackwell Lake in Douglas County holds a Grade A water quality score and is 2 miles from Rachel Lake.

Why is Rachel Lake not Grade A?

Rachel Lake holds Grade B, with about 8.9 ft of water clarity and 20 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 Rachel Lake in Minnesota, with strictly higher numeric grade scores and sufficient monitoring data.

Cleaner Lakes Than Rachel Lake, Top 5 Within 30 Miles, LakeQuality

Cleaner Lakes Than Rachel Lake

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

Rachel Lake carries a Grade B (Good) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Blackwell Lake (Douglas County, Grade A, 2 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.

Blackwell Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · 2 mi from Rachel Lake

+Higher grade (B → A)
++2.6 ft water clarity

South Oscar Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · 3.1 mi from Rachel Lake

+Higher grade (B → A)
++7.8 ft water clarity

Mary Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · 3.1 mi from Rachel Lake

+Higher overall water quality score

Mill Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · 3.7 mi from Rachel Lake

+Higher overall water quality score
++2.1 ft water clarity

Crooked Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · 4.1 mi from Rachel Lake

+Higher overall water quality score
++5.1 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.