Orwell Lake vs Swan Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Swan Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Orwell Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Both Orwell Lake and Swan 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. Swan Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Orwell 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 — Swan 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?
Orwell Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.
Swan Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Orwell Lake | Swan Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4.1 ft | 12.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 54 µg/L | 17.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 44 ft |
| Surface Area | 607.58 acres | 748.9 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Swan Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Orwell Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 12.1 ft vs 4.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Swan Lake also leads with 1 species.