Agnes Lake vs Iron Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Agnes Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Iron Lake (D, Poor). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Both Agnes Lake and Iron Lake 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Agnes Lake grades a B while Iron Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Agnes 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?
Agnes Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Iron Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Agnes Lake | Iron Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 30 ft | 64 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.0K acres | 2.0K acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 10 | 9 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Agnes Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Iron Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Agnes Lake also leads with 10 species.