Irving Lake vs Marquette Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Marquette Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Irving Lake (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 (B). 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 5.3 ft.
Marquette Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Irving Lake | Marquette Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 5.3 ft | 8.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 19 ft | 51 ft |
| Surface Area | 661.63 acres | 527.56 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Marquette Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Irving Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 8.5 ft vs 5.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Marquette Lake also leads with 1 species.