Lory Lake vs South Stanchfield Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lory Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than South Stanchfield Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Isanti County, Minnesota.
Both Lory Lake and South Stanchfield 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. Lory Lake (C) is materially cleaner than South Stanchfield Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Lory 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?
Lory Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
South Stanchfield Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lory Lake | South Stanchfield Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 2.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 41 µg/L | 119 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.7 µg/L | 33.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 341 acres | 363 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| 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
Lory Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus South Stanchfield Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Lory Lake also leads with 1 species.