Marion Lake vs Winsted Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Marion Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Winsted Lake (D, Poor). Both are in McLeod County, Minnesota.
Both Marion Lake and Winsted 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. The grades are close: Marion Lake (D) and Winsted Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades 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.
Marion Lake
No clarity data.
Winsted Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Marion Lake | Winsted Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | No data | 3.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 71 µg/L | 449 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 520 acres | 376 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Marion Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Winsted Lake's Grade D. For fishing diversity, Marion Lake also leads with 1 species.