Ripley Lake vs Star Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Ripley Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Star Lake (D, Poor). 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 grades are close: Ripley Lake (C) and Star Lake (D) 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.
Ripley Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft.
Star Lake
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ripley Lake | Star Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 4.8 ft | 1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 42.5 µg/L | 63.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 18 ft | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 614.31 acres | 552.86 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Ripley Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Star Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 4.8 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Ripley Lake also leads with 1 species.