Dixon Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Dixon Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Round Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Both Dixon Lake and Round 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 — Dixon Lake (D) versus Round Lake (F). 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.
Dixon Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Round Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Dixon Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 4.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 34 µg/L | 67 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 19.6 µg/L | 31.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 29 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 622 acres | 2,860 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 17 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Dixon Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Round Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 4.1 ft. For more fish-species variety, Round Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.