Union Lake vs Wells Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Wells Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Union Lake. Both are in Rice County, Minnesota.
Union Lake and Wells 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 readings are close: Union Lake and Wells 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.
Union Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Wells Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Union Lake | Wells Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 3 ft Better | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 375 µg/L | 211 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.2 µg/L Better | 40.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 10 ft Better | 4 ft |
| Surface Area | 397 acres | 677 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | 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
Union Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Wells Lake. Water clarity: 3 ft vs 2 ft. For more fish-species variety, Wells Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.
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Where to stay near Union Lake and Wells Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Union Lake and Wells 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.