Larson Lake vs Mirror Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Larson Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Mirror Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Larson Lake and Mirror Lake are both in North Dakota — 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 grades are meaningfully apart: Larson Lake grades a C while Mirror Lake grades a F. 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 — Larson 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?
Larson Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Mirror Lake
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Larson Lake | Mirror Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 2.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.1 µg/L | 31.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 235 acres | 94.33 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Larson Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Mirror Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.8 ft vs 2.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Larson Lake also leads with 0 species.