Cannon Lake vs Cedar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cedar Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Cannon Lake. Both are in Rice County, Minnesota.
Cannon Lake and Cedar 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Cannon Lake versus Cedar Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Cannon Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.
Cedar Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cannon Lake | Cedar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.1 ft Better | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 244 µg/L | 91 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 46.5 µg/L Better | 72.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 15 ft | 42 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,593 acres | 902 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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
Cannon Lake and Cedar Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Cannon Lake: 4.1 ft, Cedar Lake: 2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Cannon Lake has fewer fish species than Cedar Lake.
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Where to stay near Cannon Lake and Cedar Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Cannon Lake and Cedar 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Cannon Lake and Cedar Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.