Chippewa Lake vs Lobster Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Chippewa Lake and Lobster Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Both Chippewa Lake and Lobster 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, Chippewa Lake versus Lobster 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.
Chippewa Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.8 ft.
Lobster Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Chippewa Lake | Lobster Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 14.8 ft Better | 13 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L Better | 20.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L Better | 3.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 95 ft Better | 65 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,186 acres | 1,334 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 19 Better | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
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 Chippewa Lake or Lobster Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Chippewa Lake: 14.8 ft, Lobster Lake: 13 ft) and what you want from the lake. Chippewa Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.