Andrusia Lake vs Big Rice Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Andrusia Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Rice Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Andrusia Lake and Big Rice 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 meaningfully apart: Andrusia Lake grades a A while Big Rice Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Andrusia Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Andrusia Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15.5 ft down.
Big Rice Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Andrusia Lake | Big Rice Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 15.5 ft | 5.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 11.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.6K acres | 642.46 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Andrusia Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Rice Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15.5 ft vs 5.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Andrusia Lake also leads with 1 species.