What is the cleanest lake near Second Lake?

Third Lake in Carlton County holds a Grade A water quality score and is 0.3 miles from Second Lake.

Why is Second Lake not Grade A?

Second Lake holds Grade D, with about 1.2 ft of water clarity and 78.5 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 Second Lake in Minnesota, with strictly higher numeric grade scores and sufficient monitoring data.

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

Cleaner Lakes Than Second Lake

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

Second Lake carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Third Lake (Carlton County, Grade A, 0.3 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.

Third Lake

Carlton County, Minnesota · 0.3 mi from Second Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++9 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (13.5 vs 78.5 µg/L)

Pat Martin Lake

Carlton County, Minnesota · 4.1 mi from Second Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++12.4 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (15 vs 78.5 µg/L)

Big Lake

Carlton County, Minnesota · 6.4 mi from Second Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → A)
++10.6 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (12 vs 78.5 µg/L)

Simian Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota · 5.4 mi from Second Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
++3.3 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (25 vs 78.5 µg/L)

Wild Rice Lake

Carlton County, Minnesota · 5.8 mi from Second Lake

+Two grade letters higher (D → B)
++2.4 ft water clarity
+Lower phosphorus (21 vs 78.5 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.