Lower Prior Lake vs Upper Prior Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lower Prior Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Upper Prior Lake. Both are in Scott County, Minnesota.
Both Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Lower Prior Lake versus Upper Prior 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.
Lower Prior Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Upper Prior Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lower Prior Lake | Upper Prior Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10 ft Better | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L Better | 38.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.8 µg/L Better | 8.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft Better | 50 ft |
| Surface Area | 956 acres | 386 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 16 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
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
Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lower Prior Lake: 10 ft, Upper Prior Lake: 5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lower Prior Lake has fewer fish species than Upper Prior Lake.
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Where to stay near Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior 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 Lower Prior Lake and Upper Prior Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.