Farm Island Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Farm Island Lake and Round Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Farm Island Lake and Round 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 sit close on the readings, Farm Island Lake versus Round Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Farm Island Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.3 ft.
Round Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Farm Island Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.3 ft | 14.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L | 10 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 56 ft | 125 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 2,005 acres | 737 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Farm Island Lake or Round Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Farm Island Lake: 11.3 ft, Round Lake: 14.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Farm Island Lake has fewer fish species than Round Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.