Thunder Lake vs Upper Trelipe Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Thunder Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Upper Trelipe Lake. Both are in Cass County, Minnesota.
Thunder Lake and Upper Trelipe 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 sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Thunder Lake versus Upper Trelipe Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Thunder Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down.
Upper Trelipe Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Thunder Lake | Upper Trelipe Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 16.5 ft Better | 14 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L Better | 12 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L Better | 3.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 95 ft Better | 69 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,347 acres | 421 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 Better | 15 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
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
Thunder Lake and Upper Trelipe Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Thunder Lake: 16.5 ft, Upper Trelipe Lake: 14 ft) and what you want from the lake. Thunder Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Thunder Lake and Upper Trelipe Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Thunder Lake and Upper Trelipe 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.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.