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.
B
Big Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
D
Rice Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
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 | 16 | 21 |
| 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 more fish-species variety, Rice Lake edges ahead with 21 documented species.