Deer Lake vs West Lost Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Deer Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than West Lost Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Deer Lake and West Lost 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Deer Lake (B) versus West Lost Lake (C). 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.
Deer Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
West Lost Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Deer Lake | West Lost Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 11.5 ft | 7.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 447.07 acres | 794.65 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Deer Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus West Lost Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 7.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Deer Lake also leads with 1 species.