Gull Lake vs Red Sand Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Gull Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Red Sand Lake (B, Good). Both are in Minnesota.
Gull Lake and Red Sand 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 — Gull Lake (A) versus Red Sand Lake (B). 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.
Gull Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Red Sand Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Gull Lake | Red Sand Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 14.5 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 23 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 10.0K acres | 521.38 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Gull Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Red Sand Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 14.5 ft vs 9 ft. For fishing diversity, Gull Lake also leads with 1 species.