Okabena Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Okabena Lake and Round Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of D (Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Okabena Lake (D) versus Round Lake (D). 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.
Okabena Lake
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility.
Round Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Okabena Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 3.3 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 166.5 µg/L | 77 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.1 µg/L | 14.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 16 ft | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 776 acres | 930 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 17 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
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.