Independence Lake vs Minnetonka Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnetonka Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Independence Lake. Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Independence Lake and Minnetonka 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. The readings are close: Independence Lake and Minnetonka Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
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.
Independence Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Minnetonka Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Independence Lake | Minnetonka Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 10 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 68.8 µg/L | 28 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 18.6 µg/L | 10.1 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 58 ft | 113 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 832 acres | 14,206 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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 Independence Lake or Minnetonka Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Minnetonka Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Independence Lake. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 4.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnetonka Lake also leads with 18 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.