Games Lake vs Norway Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Games Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Norway Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Games Lake and Norway 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Games Lake grades a C while Norway Lake grades a F. 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 — Games 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?
Games Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Norway Lake
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Games Lake | Norway Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 2.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 31.5 µg/L | 60 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.5 µg/L | 37.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 527 acres | 527 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 15 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Games Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Norway Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 5.2 ft vs 2.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Games Lake also leads with 15 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.