Big Rice Lake vs Kitchi Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Kitchi Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Big Rice Lake. Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Big Rice Lake and Kitchi 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: Big Rice Lake and Kitchi 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.
Big Rice Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft.
Kitchi Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Rice Lake | Kitchi Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 5.7 ft | 8.2 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 26 µg/L | 23 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11.4 µg/L | 7.5 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 50 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 642 acres | 1,865 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 14 | 16 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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
Big Rice Lake and Kitchi Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Big Rice Lake: 5.7 ft, Kitchi Lake: 8.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Rice Lake has fewer fish species than Kitchi Lake.
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Where to stay near Big Rice Lake and Kitchi Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Big Rice Lake and Kitchi 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.