Balm Lake vs Big Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Balm Lake and Big Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Both Balm Lake and Big 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 the readings, Balm Lake versus Big 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.
Balm Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Big Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Balm Lake | Big Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.5 ft Better | 9.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.5 µg/L | 15 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.9 µg/L Better | 4.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 33 ft | 35 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 537 acres | 3,598 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 17 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Balm Lake or Big Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Balm Lake: 11.5 ft, Big Lake: 9.7 ft) and what you want from the lake. Balm Lake has fewer fish species than Big Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.