Sarah Lake vs Yankton Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sarah Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Yankton Lake. Both are in Minnesota.
Both Sarah Lake and Yankton Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Sarah Lake and Yankton Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings 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.
Sarah Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
Yankton Lake
Very murky, less than 0.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Sarah Lake | Yankton Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 3.9 ft Better | 0.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 59 µg/L Better | 98 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L Better | 20.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 10 ft Better | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,209 acres | 403 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
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.
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Verdict
Sarah Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Yankton Lake. Water clarity: 3.9 ft vs 0.8 ft. For more fish-species variety, Yankton Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.
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Where to stay near Sarah Lake and Yankton Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Sarah Lake and Yankton Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Sarah Lake and Yankton Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.