Elbow Lake vs Tulaby Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Elbow Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Tulaby Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Elbow Lake and Tulaby 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 meaningfully apart: Elbow Lake grades a A while Tulaby Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Elbow Lake 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?
Elbow Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Tulaby Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Elbow Lake | Tulaby Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 12.1 ft | 7.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 23 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.8 µg/L | 10.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 76 ft | 43 ft |
| Surface Area | 995 acres | 832 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 16 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Elbow Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Tulaby Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 12.1 ft vs 7.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Elbow Lake also leads with 17 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.