Lower Prior Lake vs Mill Pond
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Prior Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Mill Pond (D, Poor). Both are in Scott County, Minnesota.
Lower Prior Lake and Mill Pond 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. Lower Prior Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Mill Pond (D). 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 — Lower Prior 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?
Lower Prior Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Mill Pond
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Prior Lake | Mill Pond |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 26.8 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 1.1K acres | 16 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Lower Prior Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Mill Pond's Grade D. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, Lower Prior Lake also leads with 1 species.