Irving Lake vs Plantagenet Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Plantagenet Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Irving Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Irving Lake and Plantagenet 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Plantagenet Lake grades a A while Irving Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Plantagenet 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?
Irving Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
Plantagenet Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Irving Lake | Plantagenet Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.6 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 20 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.2 µg/L | 6.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 19 ft | 65 ft |
| Surface Area | 662 acres | 2,531 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 | 20 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Plantagenet Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Irving Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 7 ft vs 5.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Plantagenet Lake also leads with 20 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.