Borden Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Borden Lake (B, Good). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Borden Lake and Round 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Borden Lake (B) versus Round Lake (A). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Borden Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Round Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Borden Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 10.5 ft | 14.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22.5 µg/L | 11 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft | 125 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.0K acres | 736.65 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Round Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Borden Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 14.5 ft vs 10.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 1 species.