Ocheda Lake vs Okabena Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Okabena Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Ocheda Lake. Both are in Nobles County, Minnesota.
Ocheda Lake and Okabena Lake 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 sit close on the readings, Ocheda Lake versus Okabena Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Ocheda Lake
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility.
Okabena Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ocheda Lake | Okabena Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 1.6 ft | 3.3 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 265 µg/L | 166.5 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 72.8 µg/L | 24.1 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 5 ft | 16 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,691 acres | 776 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Ocheda Lake or Okabena Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Okabena Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Ocheda Lake. Water clarity: 3.3 ft vs 1.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Okabena Lake also leads with 18 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.