Minnewawa Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Minnewawa Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Both Minnewawa Lake and Round 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. Round Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Minnewawa 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 — 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
Crystal clear, you can see 15.3 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Minnewawa Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 15.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 21 ft | 59 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.4K acres | 634.03 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 A versus Minnewawa Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 15.3 ft vs 5.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 1 species.