Campbell Lake vs Little Turtle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Campbell Lake and Little Turtle Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of C (Fair). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Campbell Lake and Little Turtle 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 — Campbell Lake (C) versus Little Turtle Lake (C). 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.
Campbell Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.7 ft.
Little Turtle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Campbell Lake | Little Turtle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 6.7 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21.5 µg/L | 23.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.4 µg/L | 12 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 25 ft |
| Surface Area | 463 acres | 469 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 14 | 15 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Campbell Lake: 6.7 ft, Little Turtle Lake: 6.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Campbell Lake has fewer fish species than Little Turtle Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.