Mason Lake vs Stuart Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Stuart Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Mason Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
C
Mason Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
A
Stuart Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.1 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mason Lake | Stuart Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 16.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | 12 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 108 ft | 49 ft |
| Surface Area | 5.6K acres | 739.74 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 14 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Stuart Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Mason Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 16.1 ft vs 3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Mason Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.