Lower Cullen Lake vs Upper Cullen Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Cullen Lake and Upper Cullen Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Lower Cullen Lake and Upper Cullen 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: Lower Cullen Lake and Upper Cullen 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.
Lower Cullen Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17.4 ft down.
Upper Cullen Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Cullen Lake | Upper Cullen Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 17.4 ft Better | 8.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14.5 µg/L Better | 23 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L Better | 6.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft | 40 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 560 acres | 441 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 14 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
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.
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Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lower Cullen Lake: 17.4 ft, Upper Cullen Lake: 8.7 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lower Cullen Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Lower Cullen Lake and Upper Cullen Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.