Beltrami Lake vs Movil Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Movil Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Beltrami Lake. Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Beltrami Lake and Movil 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 readings are close: Beltrami Lake and Movil Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings 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.
Beltrami Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Movil Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Beltrami Lake | Movil Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.2 ft | 14 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 12 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.3 µg/L Better | 5.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft | 50 ft |
| Surface Area | 726 acres | 855 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 20 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Beltrami Lake and Movil Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Beltrami Lake: 11.2 ft, Movil Lake: 14 ft) and what you want from the lake. Beltrami Lake has fewer fish species than Movil Lake.
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Where to stay near Beltrami Lake and Movil Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Beltrami Lake and Movil Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.