Andrusia Lake vs Upper Red Lake: East Central
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Andrusia Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Upper Red Lake: East Central (D, Poor). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Andrusia Lake and Upper Red Lake: East Central 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. Andrusia Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Upper Red Lake: East Central (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
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.
Upper Red Lake: East Central
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Andrusia Lake | Upper Red Lake: East Central |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 15.5 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 39.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.6K acres | 119.3K 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 Upper Red Lake: East Central's Grade D. Water clarity: 15.5 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Andrusia Lake also leads with 1 species.