Maple Lake vs Reno Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Maple Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Reno Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Maple Lake and Reno 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. Maple Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Reno Lake (C). 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 — Maple 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?
Maple Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.
Reno Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Maple Lake | Reno Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 14.1 ft | 7.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 33.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.1 µg/L | 9.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 78 ft | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 831 acres | 3,809 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Maple Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Reno Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 14.1 ft vs 7.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Reno Lake edges ahead with 18 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.