Elk Lake vs Lower Orono Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Elk Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Lower Orono Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
Elk Lake and Lower Orono 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 — Elk Lake (D) versus Lower Orono 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.
Elk Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Lower Orono Lake
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Elk Lake | Lower Orono Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 2.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 74 µg/L | 156 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 353 acres | 300 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Elk Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Lower Orono Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 2.5 ft vs 2.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Elk Lake also leads with 1 species.