Minnetonka Lake vs Sarah Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnetonka Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Sarah Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Both Minnetonka Lake and Sarah 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. Minnetonka Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Sarah Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Minnetonka Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Minnetonka Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Sarah Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnetonka Lake | Sarah Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 27 µg/L | 78 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 113 ft | 59 ft |
| Surface Area | 14.2K acres | 557.23 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
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 Sarah Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnetonka Lake also leads with 1 species.