Ida Lake vs Red Rock Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ida Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Red Rock Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Ida Lake and Red Rock 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. Ida Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Red Rock Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Ida Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Ida Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Red Rock Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ida Lake | Red Rock Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft | 3.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 55 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 106 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 4.4K acres | 904.1 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 19 | 13 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
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 Red Rock Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 3.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Ida Lake also leads with 19 species.