Crow River Mill Pond vs Mud Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Crow River Mill Pond has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Mud Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Crow River Mill Pond and Mud 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. Crow River Mill Pond (B) is materially cleaner than Mud Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Crow River Mill Pond 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?
Crow River Mill Pond
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft.
Mud Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Crow River Mill Pond | Mud Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 10.2 ft | 6.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 14 ft | 14 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.3K acres | 2.3K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Crow River Mill Pond wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Mud Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 10.2 ft vs 6.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Crow River Mill Pond also leads with 1 species.