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LakeQuality

Aaron Lake vs Spitzer Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Spitzer Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Aaron Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.

Both Aaron Lake and Spitzer Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Aaron Lake (C) versus Spitzer Lake (B). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

C

Aaron Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.

B

Spitzer Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricAaron LakeSpitzer Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)B (Good)
Water Clarity7 ft7 ft
PhosphorusNo data25 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth16 ft33 ft
Surface Area610.3 acres731.39 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species11
Trophic Statemesotrophicmesotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Spitzer Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Aaron Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 7 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Spitzer Lake also leads with 1 species.