Ida Lake vs Irene Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ida Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. 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 sit close on the readings, Ida Lake versus Irene Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft Better | 9.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L Better | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L Better | 7.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 106 ft Better | 44 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,445 acres | 639 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 19 Better | 16 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
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 Ida Lake or Irene Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Ida Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. 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.