Emily Lake vs Lake Jefferson
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake Jefferson has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Emily Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Both Emily Lake and Lake Jefferson 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Emily Lake (F) versus Lake Jefferson (D). 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.
Emily Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Lake Jefferson
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Emily Lake | Lake Jefferson |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 63 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 40.1 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 315 acres | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lake Jefferson wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Emily Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake Jefferson also leads with 1 species.