Irene Lake vs Miltona Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Miltona Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Irene Lake and Miltona 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: Irene Lake and Miltona 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.
Irene Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Miltona Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.7 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Irene Lake | Miltona Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 18.7 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 18 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.4 µg/L | 2.9 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 44 ft | 105 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 639 acres | 5,731 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 19 Better |
| 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.
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Verdict
Miltona Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Irene Lake. Water clarity: 18.7 ft vs 9.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Miltona Lake also leads with 19 species.
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Where to stay near Irene Lake and Miltona Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Irene Lake and Miltona Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.