Bear Head Lake vs Bear Island Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bear Head Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Bear Island Lake (C, Fair). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Both Bear Head Lake and Bear Island 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Bear Head Lake grades a A while Bear Island 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 — Bear Head 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?
Bear Head Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft.
Bear Island Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bear Head Lake | Bear Island Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 11 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 19.5 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 46 ft | 62 ft |
| Surface Area | 661.98 acres | 2.4K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bear Head Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Bear Island Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11 ft vs 7 ft. For fishing diversity, Bear Head Lake also leads with 1 species.