Ml-Nw Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Ml-Nw Lake (B, Good). Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Both Ml-Nw 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 close: Ml-Nw Lake (B) and Round Lake (A) 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.
Ml-Nw Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.4 ft.
Round Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15.3 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ml-Nw Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 9.4 ft | 15.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.7 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 59 ft |
| Surface Area | 128.3K acres | 634.03 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| 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-Nw Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 15.3 ft vs 9.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Round Lake also leads with 1 species.