Minnewaska Lake vs Pelican Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnewaska Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Pelican Lake (C, Fair). 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 close: Minnewaska Lake (B) and Pelican Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Minnewaska Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Pelican Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnewaska Lake | Pelican Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 11.2 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23.5 µg/L | 49 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 34 ft |
| Surface Area | 8.1K acres | 517.77 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
Minnewaska Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Pelican Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.2 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnewaska Lake also leads with 1 species.