Minnetonka Lake vs Whaletail Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnetonka Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Whaletail Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Both Minnetonka Lake and Whaletail 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 — Minnetonka Lake (C) versus Whaletail 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.
Minnetonka Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Whaletail Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnetonka Lake | Whaletail Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 10 ft | 3.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 28 µg/L | 45.8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.1 µg/L | 19.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 113 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 14,206 acres | 510 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 13 |
| 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 C versus Whaletail Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 10 ft vs 3.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnetonka Lake also leads with 18 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.