Amelia Lake vs Villard Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Amelia Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Villard Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Amelia Lake and Villard 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. The grades are close: Amelia Lake (B) and Villard Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Villard Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Amelia Lake | Villard Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 9.2 ft | 4.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L | 33 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 69 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 934.4 acres | 544.39 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Amelia Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Villard Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 9.2 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Amelia Lake also leads with 1 species.