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LakeQuality

Inguadona Lake vs Lower Trelipe Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Inguadona Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lower Trelipe Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Cass County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Inguadona Lake and Lower Trelipe 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. Inguadona Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Lower Trelipe 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 — Inguadona 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?

A

Inguadona Lake

Cass County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft.

C

Lower Trelipe Lake

Cass County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricInguadona LakeLower Trelipe Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)C (Fair)
Water Clarity12 ft6.9 ft
Phosphorus15 µg/L23 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.5 µg/L11.9 µg/L
Maximum Depth79 ft32 ft
Surface Area1,133 acres618 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species2016
Trophic Statemesotrophiceutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Inguadona Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lower Trelipe Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 12 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Inguadona Lake also leads with 20 species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.