The Greater Alexandria Area is blessed with an abundance of bucolic, clean lakes. People considering buying lake homes or lake lots pay close attention, as they should, to water clarity reports as do the many lake associations in the area. Water quality is important to fish and aquatic plants as well as your own enjoyment. Anyone that has faced diving into a less than clear lake can attest to that.
Water clarity is measured with a Secchi Disk. Angelo Secchi was an italian astronomer in the 19th century and among other significant accomplishments, he invented a tool to measure transparency in bodies of water. Here is a video of the Secchi Disk in action.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources monitors the clarity of lakes in Minnesota and their findings are displayed on their web-site. I have put together a list (ordered from the best clarity to the lowest) using the lakes that are on the ‘Lake Home’ page of this site. The numbers are from the most recent tests conducted by the DNR but because there are so many lakes, the test may have been a few years ago. For example, the most recent survey at Lake Miltona was in 2011. The numbers give an idea of the quality of the water but I suggest doing your own research. For example, if you had the choice of going for a swim in Lake Darling or Lake Agnes, which would you choose? Likely, the majority of you are going to choose Darling. But, the most recent DNR survey reports the clarity at Darling to be 9.5 feet and Agnes’s clarity is reported to be 12.6 feet but the lake has a range of 4.7 feet to 20.5 feet.
- Maple 20.6′
- Vermont 14.8′
- Cowdry 14′
- Moses 13.8
- Union 13′
- Blackwell 12.7′
- Agnes 12.6′
- Le Homme Dieu 12.3′
- Latoka 12′
- Henry 11′
- Taylor 10.5′
- Carlos 10.4′
- Victoria 10.4′
- Geneva 10.2′
- Minnewaska 10′
- Darling 9.5′
- Brophy 9.3′
- Chippewa 9.3′
- Stony 9′
- Ida 8.8′
- Mill 8.8′
- Red Rock 8.8′
- Lobster 8.5′
- Miltona 8.5′
- Louise 8′
- Rachel 8′
- Andrew 7.8′
- Amelia 6.8′
- Irene 6′
- Oscar 5.9′
- Aaron 5.8′
- Pocket 5.5′
- Reno 5.5′
- Stowe 5.3′
- Burgen 5′
- Villard 4.8′
- Whiskey 4.8′
- Jessie 4′
- Smith 4′
- Osakis 3.3′
- Mary 3′
- Winona 1.2′
