Big Fish Lake vs Sauk Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Fish Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Sauk Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
A
Big Fish Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 20.7 ft down.
C
Sauk Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Fish Lake | Sauk Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 20.7 ft | 3.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 49 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft | 61 ft |
| Surface Area | 557.31 acres | 2.1K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 18 |
| 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 Sauk Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 20.7 ft vs 3.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Sauk Lake edges ahead with 18 documented species.