Blackwater Lake vs Rice Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Rice Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Blackwater Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Both Blackwater Lake and Rice 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. Rice 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 — Rice 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.
Rice Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Blackwater Lake | Rice Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4.4 ft | 13.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 72 ft | 68 ft |
| Surface Area | 600.53 acres | 863.38 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Rice Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Blackwater Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 13.8 ft vs 4.4 ft. For fishing diversity, Rice Lake also leads with 1 species.