High Island Lake vs Marion Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
High Island Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Nutrient-rich) than Marion Lake (F, Algae-prone). Both are in Minnesota.
Both High Island Lake and Marion 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — High Island Lake (D) versus Marion Lake (F). 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.
High Island Lake
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility.
Marion Lake
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | High Island Lake | Marion Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Nutrient-rich) Better | F (Algae-prone) |
| Water Clarity | 2.1 ft | No data |
| Phosphorus | 180 µg/L | 71 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.6 µg/L Better | 73 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 6.5 ft | 15.2 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,340 acres | 520 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 11 | 13 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare High Island Lake or Marion Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
High Island Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Marion Lake's Grade F. For more fish-species variety, Marion Lake edges ahead with 13 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.