Charlotte Lake vs Emily Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Emily Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Charlotte Lake. 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 differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Charlotte Lake versus Emily 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 0.9 ft | 2 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 238.5 µg/L | 90 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 104.8 µg/L | 24.5 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft Better | 6 ft |
| Surface Area | 468 acres | 2,316 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 26 Better |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
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 Charlotte Lake or Emily Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Emily Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Charlotte Lake. 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.