Ida Lake vs Irene Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ida Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Irene Lake (B, Good). Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Ida Lake and Irene 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 — Ida Lake (A) versus Irene 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.
Ida Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Irene Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ida Lake | Irene Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft | 9.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L | 7.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 106 ft | 44 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,445 acres | 639 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 19 | 16 |
| 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 A versus Irene Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 9.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Ida Lake also leads with 19 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.