Carlos Lake vs Lobster Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Carlos Lake and Lobster Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Both Carlos Lake and Lobster Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Carlos Lake versus Lobster 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.
Carlos Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Lobster Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Carlos Lake | Lobster Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 18 ft Better | 13 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13.5 µg/L Better | 20.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L Better | 3.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 163 ft Better | 65 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,605 acres | 1,334 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 Better | 18 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
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.
Swap a lake
Compare Carlos Lake or Lobster Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Carlos Lake: 18 ft, Lobster Lake: 13 ft) and what you want from the lake. Carlos Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.