Beltrami Lake vs Turtle River Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Beltrami Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Turtle River Lake (B, Good). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Beltrami Lake and Turtle River 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. The grades are close: Beltrami Lake (A) and Turtle River Lake (B) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Beltrami Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Turtle River Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Beltrami Lake | Turtle River Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 8.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 20 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft | 63 ft |
| Surface Area | 725.82 acres | 1.7K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Beltrami Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Turtle River Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 8.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Beltrami Lake also leads with 1 species.