Alice Lake vs Ham Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Alice Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Ham Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Alice Lake and Ham 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. The grades are close: Alice Lake (C) and Ham Lake (D) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
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.
Alice Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft.
Ham Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Alice Lake | Ham Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 8.2 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 53 ft | 53 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Alice Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Ham Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8.2 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, Alice Lake also leads with 0 species.