Big Fish Lake vs Big Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Fish Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Lake (B, Good). Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Both Big Fish Lake and Big 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Fish Lake (A) versus Big Lake (B). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Big Fish Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 20.7 ft down.
Big Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Fish Lake | Big Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 20.7 ft | 6.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 557.31 acres | 457.67 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
Big Fish Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 20.7 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Fish Lake also leads with 1 species.