George Lake vs Peltier Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
George Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Peltier Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Anoka County, Minnesota.
George Lake and Peltier 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. George Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Peltier Lake (F). 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 — George 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?
George Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft.
Peltier Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | George Lake | Peltier Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 7.3 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 381.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.2 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 18 ft |
| Surface Area | 488.63 acres | 551.92 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
George Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Peltier Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 7.3 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, George Lake also leads with 1 species.