Barnes Lake vs Hemingway Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Barnes Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Hemingway Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Lapeer County, Wisconsin.
Both Barnes Lake and Hemingway Lake sit in Michigan. 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Barnes Lake grades a A while Hemingway Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Barnes Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Barnes Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Hemingway Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Barnes Lake | Hemingway Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 14.5 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 110 acres | 65 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Barnes Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Hemingway Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 14.5 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Barnes Lake also leads with 0 species.