Big Trout Lake vs Lower Hay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Trout Lake and Lower Hay Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
A
Big Trout Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
A
Lower Hay Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 19 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Trout Lake | Lower Hay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 16.4 ft | 19 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 128 ft | 100 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.4K acres | 700.21 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 | 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 (Big Trout Lake: 16.4 ft, Lower Hay Lake: 19 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Trout Lake has fewer fish species than Lower Hay Lake.