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Okabena Lake and Round Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Okabena Lake and Round 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, Okabena Lake versus Round 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.

Okabena Lake

Nobles County, Minnesota

Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.

Round Lake

Jackson County, Minnesota

Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricOkabena LakeRound Lake
Water Clarity3.3 ft Better2 ft
Phosphorus166.5 µg/L77 µg/L Better
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)24.1 µg/L14.7 µg/L Better
Maximum Depth16 ft Better9 ft
Surface Area776 acres930 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species18 Better17
Trophic Stateeutrophiceutrophic

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.

Verdict

Both lakes earn the same Grade D. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Okabena Lake: 3.3 ft, Round Lake: 2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Okabena Lake supports more documented fish species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.