1
ASpectacle Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota · 6.1 mi from Francis Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (D → A)
- ++11.8 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (11 vs 62 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Francis Lake
5 higher-graded lakes within 30 miles, ranked by grade improvement and proximity.
Francis Lake carries a Grade D (Poor) water quality score. Within 30 miles, 5 lakes hold a higher grade. Spectacle Lake (Isanti County, Grade A, 6.1 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
2
ASandy Lake
Sherburne County, Minnesota · 9.3 mi from Francis Lake
- +Two grade letters higher (D → A)
- ++12.1 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (12.5 vs 62 µg/L)
3
CFannie Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota · 8.4 mi from Francis Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- ++5 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (37 vs 62 µg/L)
4
CElms Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota · 6.1 mi from Francis Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- ++4.9 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (53 vs 62 µg/L)
5
CBlue Lake
Isanti County, Minnesota · 8.3 mi from Francis Lake
- +Higher grade (D → C)
- ++6.9 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (47 vs 62 µg/L)
How this list is built
Every lake on LakeQuality has a calculated grade from EPA Water Quality Portal samples — secchi depth, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measured against Metropolitan Council thresholds. To suggest cleaner alternatives, we filter lakes within 30 miles to those with a strictly higher numeric score, then rank by grade improvement with a small proximity tiebreak. Cross-state and limited-data lakes are excluded so the list stays locally relevant.