Bad Medicine Lake vs Island Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bad Medicine Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Island Lake. Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Both Bad Medicine Lake and Island Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Bad Medicine Lake versus Island Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Bad Medicine Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down.
Island Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bad Medicine Lake | Island Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 25 ft Better | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L Better | 19 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.6 µg/L Better | 3.2 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft Better | 38 ft |
| Surface Area | 803 acres | 1,179 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Bad Medicine Lake and Island Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Bad Medicine Lake: 25 ft, Island Lake: 15 ft) and what you want from the lake. Bad Medicine Lake has fewer fish species than Island Lake.
Stays via Stay22
Where to stay near Bad Medicine Lake and Island Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Bad Medicine Lake and Island Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bad Medicine Lake and Island Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.