Reno Lake vs Villard Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Reno Lake and Villard Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of C (Fair). Both are in Pope County, Minnesota.
Both Reno Lake and Villard 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Reno Lake (C) versus Villard Lake (C). 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.
Reno Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Villard Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Reno Lake | Villard Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 7.5 ft | 4.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 33.5 µg/L | 31 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.6 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 23 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,809 acres | 544 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 14 |
| 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 C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Reno Lake: 7.5 ft, Villard Lake: 4.6 ft) and what you want from the lake. Reno Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.