Cedar Lake vs Circle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cedar Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Circle Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Rice County, Minnesota.
Both Cedar Lake and Circle 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 — Cedar Lake (D) versus Circle Lake (F). 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.
Cedar Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Circle Lake
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cedar Lake | Circle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 1.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 83 µg/L | 484.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 14 ft |
| Surface Area | 902.44 acres | 837.58 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Cedar Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Circle Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 2 ft vs 1.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Cedar Lake also leads with 1 species.