Emily Lake vs Ruth Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ruth Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Emily Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both Emily Lake and Ruth 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. Ruth Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Emily Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Ruth 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?
Emily Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Ruth Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Emily Lake | Ruth Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 16 ft |
| Phosphorus | 53 µg/L | 11.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| Surface Area | 720.73 acres | 599.2 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Ruth Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Emily Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 16 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Ruth Lake also leads with 1 species.