Irving Lake vs Marquette Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Irving Lake and Marquette Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of C (Fair). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Irving Lake and Marquette Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Irving Lake (C) versus Marquette Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Irving Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
Marquette Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Irving Lake | Marquette Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 9.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.2 µg/L | 8.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 19 ft | 51 ft |
| Surface Area | 662 acres | 528 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 20 | 18 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Irving Lake: 5.6 ft, Marquette Lake: 9.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Irving Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.