East Sarah Lake vs Sarah Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
East Sarah Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Sarah Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
East Sarah Lake and Sarah 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. The grades are close: East Sarah Lake (D) and Sarah Lake (F) 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.
East Sarah Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Sarah Lake
Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | East Sarah Lake | Sarah Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.5 ft | 3.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 128.5 µg/L | 106.1 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 34.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 59 ft | 59 ft |
| Surface Area | 557 acres | 557 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 13 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
East Sarah Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Sarah Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 3.5 ft vs 3.1 ft. For fishing diversity, East Sarah Lake also leads with 13 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.