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Big Wolf Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Drewery Lake. Both are in Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Both Big Wolf Lake and Drewery Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Big Wolf Lake versus Drewery Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With readings 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 Wolf Lake

Hubbard County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.

Drewery Lake

Beltrami County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricBig Wolf LakeDrewery Lake
Water Clarity11.5 ft Better3.5 ft
Phosphorus21 µg/L11.5 µg/L Better
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data2.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth57 ft120 ft Better
Surface Area1,076 acres15,958 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1821 Better
Trophic Statemesotrophicmesotrophic

A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.

Verdict

Big Wolf Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Drewery Lake. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 3.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Drewery Lake edges ahead with 21 documented species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.