Mason Lake vs Peterson Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mason Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Peterson Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Both Mason Lake and Peterson 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Mason Lake (C) versus Peterson Lake (D). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Mason Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Peterson Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mason Lake | Peterson Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 5.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 108 ft | 69 ft |
| Surface Area | 5.6K acres | 2.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mason Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Peterson Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 3 ft vs 5.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Mason Lake also leads with 1 species.