Pelican Lake vs Stuart Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Stuart Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Pelican Lake. Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Both Pelican Lake and Stuart Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Pelican Lake versus Stuart 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.
Pelican Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Stuart Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17.5 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Pelican Lake | Stuart Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft | 17.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 12 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L Better | 3.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft Better | 49 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,962 acres | 740 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 Better | 14 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
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.
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Verdict
Pelican Lake and Stuart Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Pelican Lake: 16.4 ft, Stuart Lake: 17.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Pelican Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Pelican Lake and Stuart Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Pelican Lake and Stuart Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Pelican Lake and Stuart Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.