Bass Lake vs Lower Mission Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bass Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lower Mission Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Bass Lake and Lower Mission Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. Bass Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Lower Mission Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Bass 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?
Bass Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Lower Mission Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bass Lake | Lower Mission Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 13 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.5 µg/L | 36 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 27 ft | 27 ft |
| Surface Area | 732.2 acres | 732.2 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bass Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lower Mission Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Bass Lake also leads with 1 species.