Gorman Lake vs Scotch Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Gorman Lake and Scotch Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of D (Poor). Both are in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.
Gorman Lake and Scotch 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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Gorman Lake (D) versus Scotch Lake (D). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Gorman Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft.
Scotch Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Gorman Lake | Scotch Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.7 ft | 4.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 531.5 µg/L | 569 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 14 ft | 11 ft |
| Surface Area | 521.12 acres | 598.21 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 5 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade D. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Gorman Lake: 3.7 ft, Scotch Lake: 4.1 ft) and what you want from the lake. Gorman Lake supports more documented fish species.