Belle Lake vs Jennie Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Belle Lake and Jennie Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of D (Poor). Both are in Meeker County, Minnesota.
Both Belle Lake and Jennie Lake 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Belle Lake (D) versus Jennie Lake (D). 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.
Belle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Jennie Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Belle Lake | Jennie Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.9 ft | 3.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 40.5 µg/L | 62 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 18.7 µg/L | 24.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 864 acres | 1,069 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 12 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade D. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Belle Lake: 3.9 ft, Jennie Lake: 3.9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Belle Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.