Minnewaska Lake vs Pelican Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnewaska Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Pelican Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Both Minnewaska Lake and Pelican 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Minnewaska Lake grades a A while Pelican Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Minnewaska 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?
Minnewaska Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Pelican Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnewaska Lake | Pelican Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 5.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 50 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6 µg/L | 23.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 34 ft |
| Surface Area | 8,050 acres | 518 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Minnewaska Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Pelican Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 5.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnewaska Lake also leads with 21 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.