Bemidji Lake vs Movil Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bemidji Lake and Movil Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Bemidji Lake and Movil Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Bemidji Lake versus Movil Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Bemidji Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft.
Movil Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bemidji Lake | Movil Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 12.5 ft | 14 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | 12 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L Better | 5.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 76 ft Better | 50 ft |
| Surface Area | 6,596 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Bemidji Lake or Movil Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Bemidji Lake: 12.5 ft, Movil Lake: 14 ft) and what you want from the lake. Bemidji Lake has fewer fish species than Movil Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.