Upper Red Lake: East Central vs Upper Red Lake: West
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Red Lake: East Central has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Upper Red Lake: West (D, Poor). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Upper Red Lake: East Central and Upper Red Lake: West sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Upper Red Lake: East Central (C) versus Upper Red Lake: West (D). 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.
Upper Red Lake: East Central
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Upper Red Lake: West
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Upper Red Lake: East Central | Upper Red Lake: West |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2 ft | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 39 µg/L | 41 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.4 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 15 ft | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 119,294 acres | 119,294 acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 15 | 15 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper Red Lake: East Central wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Upper Red Lake: West's Grade D. Water clarity: 2 ft vs 2 ft. For fishing diversity, Upper Red Lake: East Central also leads with 15 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.