Bowstring Lake vs Shallow Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Shallow Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Bowstring Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.
C
Bowstring Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
A
Shallow Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bowstring Lake | Shallow Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8 ft | 16.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 9 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 85 ft |
| Surface Area | 9.5K acres | 538.95 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 12 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Shallow Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Bowstring Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 16.4 ft vs 8 ft. For more fish-species variety, Bowstring Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.