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.
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?
Inguadona Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft.
Lower Trelipe Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Inguadona Lake | Lower Trelipe Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 12 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 23 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.5 µg/L | 11.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 79 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,133 acres | 618 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 | 16 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
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.