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LakeQuality

East Graham Lake vs West Graham Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

West Graham Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than East Graham Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Nobles County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Both East Graham Lake and West Graham 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. The grades are close: East Graham Lake (F) and West Graham Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.

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.

F

East Graham Lake

Nobles County, Minnesota

Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.

D

West Graham Lake

Nobles County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricEast Graham LakeWest Graham Lake
Overall GradeF (Very Poor)D (Poor)
Water Clarity3.3 ft4.1 ft
Phosphorus189 µg/L208 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth8 ft8 ft
Surface Area511.33 acres519.29 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1517
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

West Graham Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus East Graham Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.1 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, West Graham Lake also leads with 17 species.