Bay Lake vs Lower Hay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bay Lake and Lower Hay Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
A
Bay Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
A
Lower Hay Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bay Lake | Lower Hay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 19 ft | 19 ft |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 74 ft | 100 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.3K acres | 700.21 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 21 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Bay Lake: 19 ft, Lower Hay Lake: 19 ft) and what you want from the lake. Bay Lake has fewer fish species than Lower Hay Lake.