Alton Lake vs Phoebe Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Alton Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Phoebe Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
Both Alton Lake and Phoebe 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Alton Lake (B) versus Phoebe Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Alton Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft.
Phoebe Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Alton Lake | Phoebe Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 13.5 ft | 7.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 72 ft | 25 ft |
| Surface Area | 968.63 acres | 610.01 acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Alton Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Phoebe Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 13.5 ft vs 7.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Alton Lake also leads with 1 species.