South Turtle Lake vs Stalker Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
South Turtle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Stalker Lake (B, Good). Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
South Turtle Lake and Stalker 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — South Turtle Lake (A) versus Stalker Lake (B). 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.
South Turtle Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.
Stalker Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | South Turtle Lake | Stalker Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 14.1 ft | 6.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | 22 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | 7.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 35 ft | 95 ft |
| Surface Area | 837 acres | 1,357 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 17 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
South Turtle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Stalker Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 14.1 ft vs 6.6 ft. For more fish-species variety, Stalker Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.