Johanna Lake vs Minnewaska Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnewaska Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Johanna Lake. Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Johanna Lake and Minnewaska 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 meaningfully apart: Minnewaska Lake carries clearly lower phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings than Johanna Lake. A spread that wide reflects real underlying differences, in watershed inputs, depth profiles, or monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: Minnewaska Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Johanna Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft.
Minnewaska Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Johanna Lake | Minnewaska Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 5.1 ft | 11 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 34.5 µg/L | 24 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.4 µg/L | 6 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 10 ft | 32 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,399 acres | 8,050 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 11 | 21 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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
Minnewaska Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Johanna Lake. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 5.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnewaska Lake also leads with 21 species.
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Where to stay near Johanna Lake and Minnewaska Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.