Campbell Lake vs Turtle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Turtle Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Campbell Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Campbell Lake and Turtle 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Campbell Lake (C) versus Turtle Lake (B). 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
Murky, only visible to about 6.4 ft.
Turtle Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Campbell Lake | Turtle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 6.4 ft | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 14 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 462.62 acres | 1.6K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Turtle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Campbell Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 6.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Turtle Lake also leads with 1 species.