Blackwater Lake vs Jay Gould Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Jay Gould Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Blackwater Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Both Blackwater Lake and Jay Gould 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. Jay Gould Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Blackwater Lake (D). 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 — Jay Gould 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?
Blackwater Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.4 ft.
Jay Gould Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Blackwater Lake | Jay Gould Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4.4 ft | 13 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 21 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 72 ft | 33 ft |
| Surface Area | 600.53 acres | 551.74 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Jay Gould Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Blackwater Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 4.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Jay Gould Lake also leads with 1 species.