Mountain Lake vs Rove Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Mountain Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Rove Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Mountain Lake and Rove 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. Mountain Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Rove Lake (C). 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 — Mountain 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?
Mountain Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
Rove Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Mountain Lake | Rove Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 19 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 130 ft | 130 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.3K acres | 1.3K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Mountain Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Rove Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 19 ft vs 9 ft. For fishing diversity, Mountain Lake also leads with 1 species.