Ida Lake vs Upper Cormorant Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ida Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Upper Cormorant Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Both Ida Lake and Upper Cormorant 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 — Ida Lake (B) versus Upper Cormorant 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.
Ida Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Upper Cormorant Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ida Lake | Upper Cormorant Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 11.2 ft | 8.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | 30 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 20 ft | 29 ft |
| Surface Area | 631.8 acres | 974 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
Ida Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Upper Cormorant Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.2 ft vs 8.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Ida Lake also leads with 1 species.