Charlotte Lake vs Emily Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Emily Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Charlotte Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Charlotte Lake and Emily 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 — Charlotte Lake (F) versus Emily Lake (D). 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.
Charlotte Lake
Very murky, less than 0.9 ft of visibility.
Emily Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Charlotte Lake | Emily Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 0.9 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 238.5 µg/L | 90 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 104.8 µg/L | 24.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft | 6 ft |
| Surface Area | 468 acres | 2,316 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 26 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Emily Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Charlotte Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 2 ft vs 0.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Emily Lake also leads with 26 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.