Mille Lacs Lake vs Ml-Ce Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mille Lacs Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Ml-Ce Lake (B, Good). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Both Mille Lacs Lake and Ml-Ce 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 — Mille Lacs Lake (B) versus Ml-Ce 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.
Mille Lacs Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.
Ml-Ce Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mille Lacs Lake | Ml-Ce Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 10.5 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 25 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 5.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 128.3K acres | 128.3K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mille Lacs Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Ml-Ce Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 10.5 ft vs 9 ft. For fishing diversity, Mille Lacs Lake also leads with 1 species.