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

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Lizzie Lake and Prairie 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 close: Lizzie Lake and Prairie Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.

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.

Prairie Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricLizzie LakePrairie Lake
Water Clarity16.4 ft Better8.9 ft
Phosphorus13 µg/L Better18 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.7 µg/L Better7.3 µg/L
Maximum Depth66 ft Better22 ft
Surface Area1,913 acres1,004 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species21 Better15
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 reads lower on nutrients and algae than Prairie Lake. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 8.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Lizzie Lake also leads with 21 species.

Stays via Stay22

Where to stay near Lizzie Lake and Prairie Lake

Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Lizzie Lake and Prairie 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.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.