Ml-Ce Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Ml-Ce Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Both Ml-Ce 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Round Lake grades a A while Ml-Ce Lake grades a C. 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?
Ml-Ce Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Round Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ml-Ce Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 9 ft | 14.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 25 µg/L | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 125 ft |
| Surface Area | 128,250 acres | 737 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 21 | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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 Ml-Ce Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 14.5 ft vs 9 ft. For more fish-species variety, Ml-Ce Lake edges ahead with 21 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.