Bass Lake vs Roy Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bass Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Roy Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Mahnomen County, Minnesota.
Both Bass Lake and Roy Lake sit in Minnesota. 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. Bass Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Roy 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 13.1 ft.
Roy Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bass Lake | Roy Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 13.1 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | 24 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 734.97 acres | 695.44 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | 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 Roy Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 13.1 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, Bass Lake also leads with 1 species.