Bad Medicine Lake vs Shell Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bad Medicine Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Shell Lake (B, Good). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
A
Bad Medicine Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down.
B
Shell Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bad Medicine Lake | Shell Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 25 ft | 7.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | 22 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 803.03 acres | 3.1K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 14 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bad Medicine Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Shell Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 25 ft vs 7.3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Shell Lake edges ahead with 14 documented species.