Emily Lake vs Minnewaska Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnewaska Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Emily Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Emily Lake and Minnewaska 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 meaningfully apart: Minnewaska Lake grades a A while Emily Lake grades a D. 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 — Minnewaska 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 2 ft of visibility.
Minnewaska Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Emily Lake | Minnewaska Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 11 ft |
| Phosphorus | 90 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.5 µg/L | 6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 6 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,316 acres | 8,050 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 26 | 21 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Minnewaska Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Emily Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 2 ft. For more fish-species variety, Emily Lake edges ahead with 26 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.