Florida Lake vs Nest Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Florida Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Nest Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Florida Lake and Nest 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. Florida Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Nest Lake (C). 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 — Florida 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?
Florida Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.3 ft.
Nest Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Florida Lake | Nest Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 12.3 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | 30 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.8 µg/L | 8.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 40 ft | 40 ft |
| Surface Area | 705 acres | 969 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 19 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Florida Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Nest Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 12.3 ft vs 7 ft. For more fish-species variety, Nest Lake edges ahead with 19 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.