Cedar Lake vs Spring Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Spring Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Cedar Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Scott County, Minnesota.
Cedar Lake and Spring 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Spring 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 — Spring 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 3.1 ft of visibility.
Spring Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cedar Lake | Spring Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 3.1 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 41.9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 37 ft |
| Surface Area | 793.43 acres | 591.85 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Spring Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Cedar Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 7 ft vs 3.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Spring Lake also leads with 1 species.