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LakeQuality

69-0470-00 Lake vs Pike Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Pike Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than 69-0470-00 Lake (C, Fair). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

69-0470-00 Lake and Pike 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. Pike Lake (A) is materially cleaner than 69-0470-00 Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.

For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Pike Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?

C

69-0470-00 Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.

A

Pike Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota

Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Metric69-0470-00 LakePike Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity9 ft18 ft
PhosphorusNo dataNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth76 ft60 ft
Surface Area2.5K acres488.26 acres
Public AccessNoYes
Fish Species11
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Pike Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus 69-0470-00 Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 9 ft. For fishing diversity, Pike Lake also leads with 1 species.