Medicine Lake vs Minnetonka Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnetonka Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Medicine Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Both Medicine Lake and Minnetonka 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 — Medicine Lake (C) versus Minnetonka Lake (B). 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.
Medicine Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft.
Minnetonka Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Medicine Lake | Minnetonka Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 8.2 ft | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 74.2 µg/L | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 49 ft | 113 ft |
| Surface Area | 924.36 acres | 14.2K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Minnetonka Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Medicine Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 8.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnetonka Lake also leads with 1 species.