Big Lake vs Rice Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Rice Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Big Lake and Rice 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. Big Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Rice 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 — Big 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?
Big Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Rice Lake
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Lake | Rice Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 2.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 26 µg/L | 49 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 41 ft |
| Surface Area | 457.67 acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Rice Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.9 ft vs 2.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Lake also leads with 1 species.