Grand Lake vs Pearl Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Grand Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Pearl Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Grand Lake and Pearl 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 — Grand Lake (B) versus Pearl Lake (C). 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.
Grand Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Pearl Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Grand Lake | Pearl Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 8 ft | 3.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | 34 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 650.53 acres | 753.09 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Grand Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Pearl Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 8 ft vs 3.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Grand Lake also leads with 1 species.