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Lizzie Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Pelican Lake. Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Lizzie Lake and Pelican 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. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Lizzie Lake versus Pelican Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With readings 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.

Lizzie Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.

Pelican Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricLizzie LakePelican Lake
Water Clarity16.4 ft16.4 ft
Phosphorus13 µg/L Better15 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.7 µg/L Better3 µg/L
Maximum Depth66 ft Better55 ft
Surface Area1,913 acres3,962 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species21 Better20
Trophic Stateoligotrophicmesotrophic

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.

Verdict

Lizzie Lake and Pelican Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lizzie Lake: 16.4 ft, Pelican Lake: 16.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lizzie Lake supports more documented fish species.

Stays via Stay22

Where to stay near Lizzie Lake and Pelican Lake

Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Lizzie Lake and Pelican Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Lizzie Lake and Pelican Lake

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.