Peterson Lake vs West Battle Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
West Battle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Peterson Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Peterson Lake and West Battle 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. West Battle Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Peterson Lake (D). 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 — West Battle 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?
Peterson Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
West Battle Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.2 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Peterson Lake | West Battle Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 18.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 69 ft | 108 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.5K acres | 5.6K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
West Battle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Peterson Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 18.2 ft vs 5.9 ft. For fishing diversity, West Battle Lake also leads with 1 species.