Lake Monongalia vs Mud Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mud Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Lake Monongalia (F, Very Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Lake Monongalia and Mud 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 close: Lake Monongalia (F) and Mud Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Lake Monongalia
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Mud Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Monongalia | Mud Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.3 ft | 6.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 14 ft | 14 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.3K acres | 2.3K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mud Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Lake Monongalia's Grade F. Water clarity: 6.2 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Mud Lake also leads with 1 species.