Ripley Lake vs Star Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ripley Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Star Lake. Both are in Meeker County, Minnesota.
Ripley Lake and Star 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 readings are meaningfully apart: Ripley Lake carries clearly lower phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings than Star Lake. A spread that wide reflects real underlying differences, in watershed inputs, depth profiles, or monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: Ripley Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Ripley Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Star Lake
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ripley Lake | Star Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.6 ft Better | 1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 44 µg/L Better | 63.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 19.4 µg/L Better | 34.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 18 ft Better | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 614 acres | 553 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 12 Better | 10 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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.
Swap a lake
Compare Ripley Lake or Star Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Ripley Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Star Lake. Water clarity: 4.6 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Ripley Lake also leads with 12 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.