Minnewawa Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Minnewawa Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Minnewawa Lake and Round Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: Round Lake grades a B while Minnewawa 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 — Round 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?
Minnewawa Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Round Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnewawa Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 14.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 21 ft | 27 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.4K acres | 553.5 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Round Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Minnewawa Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 14.5 ft vs 5.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 1 species.