Beaver Lake vs St. Olaf Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Beaver Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than St. Olaf Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
Beaver Lake and St. Olaf 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. Beaver Lake (B) is materially cleaner than St. Olaf Lake (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 — Beaver 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?
Beaver Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
St. Olaf Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Beaver Lake | St. Olaf Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 91 acres | 90 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| 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
Beaver Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus St. Olaf Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Beaver Lake also leads with 1 species.