Amelia Lake vs Minnewaska Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Amelia Lake and Minnewaska Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of B (Good). Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Amelia Lake and Minnewaska Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Amelia Lake (B) versus Minnewaska 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.
Amelia Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft.
Minnewaska Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Amelia Lake | Minnewaska Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 9.2 ft | 11.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L | 23.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 69 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 934.4 acres | 8.1K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Amelia Lake: 9.2 ft, Minnewaska Lake: 11.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Amelia Lake matches its peer on species count.