Carlos Lake vs Irene Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Carlos Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Irene Lake (B, Good). Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Both Carlos Lake and Irene 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 — Carlos Lake (A) versus Irene 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.
Carlos Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Irene Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Carlos Lake | Irene Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 18 ft | 9.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13.5 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | 7.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 163 ft | 44 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,605 acres | 639 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 16 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Carlos Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Irene Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 9.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Carlos Lake also leads with 21 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.