Blackduck Lake vs Kabetogama Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Blackduck Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Kabetogama Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Both Blackduck Lake and Kabetogama 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. Blackduck Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Kabetogama Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Blackduck 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?
Blackduck Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.8 ft.
Kabetogama Lake
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Blackduck Lake | Kabetogama Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6.8 ft | 2.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 30 ft | 80 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres | 24.0K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Blackduck Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Kabetogama Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 6.8 ft vs 2.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Blackduck Lake also leads with 1 species.