High Island Lake vs Marion Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Marion Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than High Island Lake (F, Very Poor). 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 (F) versus Marion 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.
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 | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.1 ft | No data |
| Phosphorus | 180 µg/L | 71 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 6.5 ft | 15.2 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.3K acres | 520.43 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 11 | 13 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Marion Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus High Island Lake's Grade F. For fishing diversity, Marion Lake also leads with 13 species.