Rifle Lake vs Three Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Three Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Rifle Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Rifle Lake and Three 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. The grades are close: Rifle Lake (D) and Three Lake (C) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Rifle Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Three Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Rifle Lake | Three Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft | 37 ft |
| Surface Area | 904.07 acres | 904.07 acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| 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
Three Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Rifle Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8 ft vs 4.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Three Lake also leads with 1 species.