Ml Lake vs Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Ml Lake (B, Good). Both are in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota.
Ml Lake and Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Ml Lake (B) versus Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River (A). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Ml Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.8 ft.
Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ml Lake | Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 7.8 ft | No data |
| Phosphorus | 25.5 µg/L | 25 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.1 µg/L | 0.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 10 ft |
| Surface Area | 128.3K acres | 1.0K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Ml Lake's Grade B. For more fish-species variety, Ml Lake edges ahead with 1 documented species.