Cedar Lake vs Lower Prior Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Prior Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Cedar Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Scott County, Minnesota.
Both Cedar Lake and Lower Prior 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Lower Prior Lake grades a C while Cedar Lake grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lower Prior Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Cedar Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Lower Prior Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cedar Lake | Lower Prior Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 10 ft |
| Phosphorus | 103 µg/L | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 62 µg/L | 4.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 60 ft |
| Surface Area | 793 acres | 956 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 15 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Prior Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Cedar Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Prior Lake also leads with 15 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.