Stella Lake vs Washington Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Stella Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Washington Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Meeker County, Minnesota.
Stella Lake and Washington 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: Stella Lake (C) and Washington 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.
Stella Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Washington Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Stella Lake | Washington Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 7.5 ft | 4.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 32.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 75 ft | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 599.02 acres | 2.4K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Stella Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Washington Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 7.5 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Stella Lake also leads with 1 species.